Interview with Emerson Smith, President, Metromark Healthcare Research Center in Columbia, US

Emerson Smith is a medical sociologist. He received is PhD from Emory University, his MA from Texas Christian University, and his BA from the University of Texas at Austin. He was a Leverhulme Fellow at the University of Exeter, Devon, England. He is a Clinical Research Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.  He is also the President of Metromark Healthcare Research Center in Columbia, South Carolina and Dallas, Texas.

Marketing is how we let others know about our research, our patents, our ideas and our knowledge, with an objective of selling our product or ideas. Biotech scientists are full of ideas. Some ideas are fanciful and never tested. Some ideas are tested and fail the tests. Others are tested and found to be worthy of implementation and commercialization. We have interviewed Emerson Smith about the biotech market in Central Europe and asked about opportunities waiting for all interested in reach the success.

There is a great potential, amid significant achievements, in technology transfer in the biotech market in Central Europe. There are still many patents that could be licensed, bringing in substantial financial resources that would enable more basic research.

Many scientists in universities in Central Europe are participating in conferences in Europe as well as in the US, India, and China.  More biotech companies in Central Europe should create partnerships with companies in the US and other countries outside of Europe.

Biotech entrepreneurs try, for too long a period, to do everything by themselves.  Each entrepreneur must have access to and utilize an IP attorney, a business attorney, an accountant, a banker, and hire a CEO to create and implement a business plan and work with investors.

The easiest way to success in this market is to reach out to as many people in the industry as the entrepreneur can, to let others know what he or she is doing, how long it will take to get regulatory approvals, and what is needed in terms of funding to commercialize the IP.

Utilize the services at universities, cities and regional development agencies, most of which provide free or inexpensive consultation and advice.  These organizations need and want to mentor and assist entrepreneurs so that the entrepreneurs will be successful.  When an entrepreneur is successful, so is the university, city government, and regional development agency.

Tomasz Sznerch

Chief editor, Biotechnologia.pl