Scientific Mobility, Training and Entrepreneurial Skills in Health Sciences: The Spanish Case

Carlos Bousoño-Calzón,Joaquín Danvila-Del-Valle,Pedro Aceituno-Aceituno,Abel González García

doi:10.3390/ijerph18042195

Carlos Bousoño-Calzón, Joaquín Danvila-Del-Valle + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042195

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Abstract

The activity of scientists promotes medical research in health services. However, on many occasions, these professionals do not know how to transfer their research results to the market. Therefore, it is worth providing data on aspects such as training in entrepreneurship and scientific mobility to foster knowledge transfer. This paper discusses data on the Spanish case in Health Sciences to devise effective policies in these areas. To this end, following the methodology of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report and the existing scientific literature, 291 researchers involved in scientific mobility in Spain have been interviewed. Of these, 90 belonged to health areas: Spanish scientists abroad (37), Scientists returned to Spain (16), and Young researchers in Spain (37). The results show that the mobile scientists in this area have more entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions, have acquired more entrepreneurial skills, and have received more training in these subjects. Furthermore, there are few permanent positions for all these groups whose mobility decisions fundamentally depend on job opportunities, so the health authorities can intensify these measures to promote knowledge transfer.

Highlights

Research and innovation are crucial to improving the provision of health care in national health systems [1,2,3,4], and their results can turn into products or processes that create economic value [5] and employment [6]
Health professionals are often unaware of how the product will create economic value [15], and it is important for these professionals to acquire entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to transfer their results to the market [16]
For all the above reasons, this paper aims to provide and discuss data on the training received in entrepreneurship by Spanish scientific mobility workers in Health Science, their acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, and the encouragement of their entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions, so that effective training and scientific mobility policies can be developed to promote entrepreneurship in these areas in the interests of greater economic and social development

Summary

Introduction

Research and innovation are crucial to improving the provision of health care in national health systems [1,2,3,4], and their results can turn into products or processes that create economic value [5] and employment [6] In this regard, health institutions such as hospitals fulfill these functions when, in addition to assuming the functions of care, teaching, and research [7,8], they undertake a fourth mission associated with innovation and transfer, in which the results can be transferred and contribute to economic and social development, making them entrepreneurial hospitals [5,9,10,11].

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