| | 8 AUGUST 2018HIGHERReviewResearch constitutes the base for most of the industrial prod-ucts used in our life. While academia contributes towards basic research; that research in itself does not translate into a product. This is where Industry plays a key role. In-dustry adapts the basic ideas and applied research to formulate, de-velop and market a product for use in society. Hence, the coordination between research performed at ac-ademic research institutions and its application in Industry becomes a primary requirement. Whenever I tend to study the current academic research in gener-al, interact with PhD aspirants, PhD students and University guides of the PhD scholars, and examine the changes over last couple of decades, I find a paradigm shift. Most of the changes are a direct result of global-ization, rapid economic growth in India and efforts from Public/Pri-vate National and International or-ganizations supporting the positive change through various incentives and schemes. Several metrics high-light this change. Increasing number of research publications in high im-pact peer-reviewed journals, patent applications and their grant by local and International patent offices have led to indigenous development and commercialization of products based on academic research.Despite this significant change, gaps still remain to effectively lever-age the academic research to its best potential and make it an even more productive endeavor. In this arti-cle, 3 key areas are presented where more efforts are needed to fill the lingering gaps.1. Optimizing the Research focus: As the target of applied re-search should be to make it useful to society to benefit from such re-search (other than research oriented towards development of a theory/concept through basic research), Universities, especially those offer-ing courses in Master's and Doctorate programs, should focus on the long-term objective of the research con-ducted within a particular depart-ment or research group. Focus of the By Dr. Manoj Kumar, Director - R&D, Hilleman Laboratories BRIDGING GAPS BETWEEN ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY IN INDIADr. Manoj Kumar ChhikaraDr. Manoj Kumar Chhikara (MVSc, PhD, ADBA), Director ­ Research and Development at MSD Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, has a keen interest in building healthy Industry-Academia partnerships towards preparing an indigenous pool of talent and bringing best outcome of the partnerships.IN MY VIEW
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