- You need to have good advisors and involve them early

Chemist Annette Bayer is no stranger to innovation. Over the past fifteen years, she has been involved in a number of innovation projects, in addition to pursuing her research career.

The result includes several patents and a research position at the biotechnology company KinSea Lead Discovery AS, which she helped to establish.

Much to Learn

Bayer has now also taken her place on the steering group of InnoHub, as one of two representatives from the Faculty of Science and Technology. She is well aware of what she wants and expects from InnoHub in the coming years.

"We obviously expect InnoHub to help both our researchers and students understand whether their ideas have innovation potential and can become an innovation project. And then help them find a good way forward."

That's it. The Associate Dean for Research and Innovation simply wishes for InnoHub to become a good learning arena, where staff and students can learn everything about innovation, from regulations to funding, and ownership of their ideas.

"There are, for example, other places than in research to apply for funding", she explains, highlighting Innovation Norway and Troms County Municipality as examples.

Important for the Faculty. And for the Natural Sciences

Bayer is also clear about how important it is for both the faculty and the natural sciences to focus on innovation. Good innovation stories make it easier to highlight contributions to society, she says. It is also important for recruitment to the natural sciences.

"We have a lot of exciting research, and it is an important part of our societal mission to make the research accessible to society."

Two Pieces of Advice Along the Way

With her background in organic chemistry and the design of synthetic molecules with biological effects, she has worked on a wide range of innovation projects related to the development and improvement of pharmaceuticals.

Thus, she also has many good pieces of advice to share with those who may have a good idea:

"You need to engage good advisors for assistance, and involve them early. For example, how will scientific publishing work? How do you position yourself to secure funding?"

Additionally, there is one important factor that budding innovators cannot escape. You need to have a long-term perspective. Business establishments do not happen overnight.

"You must maintain focus over a long period. In 2012, we started working with some newly discovered molecules, and it was only ten years and several optimisation projects later that we established the company KinSea."