Something I’m Excited About: Blurring Lines Between Academia & Industry

Before I dive into what’s on my mind this month, I want to say thank you to everyone who has sent feedback in response to last month’s newsletter. I have really enjoyed hearing from all of you and reading through your suggestions. There are so many great requests and I look forward to addressing as many of them as possible throughout this coming year.

I just returned from a trip where I had the privilege of giving a keynote at IEEE ICRA, the leading global conference that brings together researchers, students and industrial partners from around the world to discuss the latest innovations and breakthroughs in the world of robotics and automation. This was a full circle moment for me as I used to be a part of the robotics community, and very involved in this conference. This was my first time returning to the conference since I left to work in Silicon Valley and it was an amazing experience to connect with so many former colleagues and friends, and speak to a live audience of over 6,000 people. My keynote topic, “how to turn a roboticist into a corporate explorer” focused on the many opportunities available today to move between research and industry.?

I find the topic of moving between research and industry really exciting because it’s very close to home for me. I made the leap when I left academia to become a co-founder at Google X. At the time colleagues warned me against making this move, warning that there is no going back, but I followed my gut and did it anyway. I knew I wanted to be closer to the consumer, and to create products to help as many people as possible live healthier and happier lives. I left my work in research and started a new chapter in Silicon Valley. This decision ultimately led me to where I am today and my role at PanasonicWELL.?

Not that long ago - even just 15 years ago - it was more common for people to pick a lane, either research or industry, and stick to it. It’s been so cool to watch these firm boundaries start to break down. There has been no better time than now to change the world as a roboticist, and with these blurred lines there are many ways to do it.?

I’m excited to share a little more about this shifting landscape with you. I know it might not apply directly to all of your careers, but hopefully it will make you excited for the future of technology – because it affects all of us.?

Purpose & Productivity?

What I find really interesting is seeing academia and industry getting closer and closer. I could talk to you for hours about this, but I’m breaking it down into three main points that I find exciting. To help visualize this, I’ve created the following diagram that corresponds with my points below.?

1. Researchers moving between industry and academia is no longer a one-way road.? (This is about moving from top left to bottom left)?

Even just 15 years ago, if a researcher decided to move to industry, it was considered a permanent move. This is no longer the norm. Researchers from academia are getting funded and working in industry, and rock stars from industry are becoming professors at leading academic institutions. It has even become accepted and somewhat common to have a leg in academia and a leg in industry at the same time. Especially in the last couple years, the research costs have skyrocketed because of GenerativeAI; while federal funding hasn’t grown much, industry funding has increased over fifty percent and researchers are now receiving funding from the industry side, academic institutions can’t keep up with the high quality research that leading corporations are able to do. The permeability between brilliant minds in academia and funding and computational power in industry is a win-win and I see this becoming the norm over the next few years.?

2. The lines between research and product are increasingly blurred. (This is about moving from the bottom left to bottom right)?

There used to be a clear cut line between research and product innovation.? When too much research went into a product, products were not stable or scalable, and when products utilized non-advanced tech built for mass consumer adoption, they were considered “fluffy” by the research side. But now with AI and developments like the autonomous driving car, research is being done on a mass audience in tandem with product development. Data is being collected and experimented on while the product is being refined. Look at ChatGPT and autonomous driving, creators are now also researchers and testers are becoming consumers. This is an exciting opportunity but with it comes a responsibility to do this right, to create clear ethical guidelines, and to be transparent with consumers.?

3. There are many new career paths and opportunities in product innovation. (This is about moving from the top left to the bottom right)?

For people who decide to fully cross over to the industry side, specifically in product innovation like I did, there are now multiple paths to choose from. You can launch products through starting your own company, you can join a startup, or you can drive innovation within an existing corporation. Within a large organization, you can also be a “corporate explorer” and innovate and develop products in a separate unit within the parent company – which is what I am doing at Panasonic.?

This is a significant shift in thinking and practice. For the past few decades? people believed that innovating within a large company was inherently really hard. There was a book published in 1997 about this called “The Innovator’s Dilemma.” If you wanted to innovate, you went to a startup, not to an established corporation.?

In 2016 Charles O'Reilly and Michael Tushman wrote a book called “Lead and Disrupt” that said it actually is possible to innovate at large companies. Through case studies and research, the authors show the key to solving the innovator’s dilemma is to use a capability called ambidexterity. Ambidexterity requires leaders to design organizations that can succeed in mature businesses where success comes from incremental improvement, close attention to customers, and rigorous execution and to simultaneously compete in emerging businesses where success requires speed, flexibility, and a tolerance for mistakes. The authors provide strategies for balancing core business activities with disruptive innovation. Andy Binns followed with the book in 2022 “Corporate Explorer” talking about how some companies are now starting to beat startups in innovation.

There have always been various paths to create products, but what is different is that we are living in a pivotal moment in history. The field of robotics (along with most other industries in the world) is transforming at a rapid pace, and that brings significantly more opportunities to innovate. Regardless of your own background or journey, or what path you decide to take, with these changes also comes increased potential to build products that will not only implement the latest technology, but can also help many, many people, in a meaningful way.?

I hope this topic will open your mind to the endless possibilities out there. Have you seen these shifts and blurred lines in your own career? Are you considering which path to take? I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions or thoughts on this topic. Let me know in the comments. : )?

Me List

Here’s my Me List as we kick off the summer season…

• Spend precious time with my kids while they are home more over the summer
• Plan a “real” vacation where I can actually slow down and recharge?
• Go get a summer treat (boba or ice cream) with my family?

Yoky?