The challenge of sustaining the research and innovation process

Sustaining the research and innovation process in the 21st century is a complex task. With research budgets under scrutiny, a huge increase in the volume of research publications, mounting patent applications and increased litigation, a successful participant—whether an individual researcher, institution, company or government—needs to be equipped with the right tools and information to make good strategic decisions. Sustainable research is illustrated here as a “cycle” leading from pure research to applied innovations onto patenting through to commercial wealth creation, which can then be returned as further research and development. Using case studies and examples from the fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology, critical stages of this cycle are identified and illustrated with data, tools and analysis.