“No single company can compete with the innovation capabilities of the entire research community”

Generating scientific and technological expertise and transforming it into industrial products are of crucial importance for Sartorius. In this interview, Oscar-Werner Reif, Head of Corporate Research and Chief Technology Officer, illustrates how Sartorius is fostering collaboration and partnerships with leading experts, why working with his team is attractive for scientists – and under what circumstances it makes sense to team up with other companies.

_{^{This article is posted on Sartorius Blog.}}

Dr. Reif, in our last interview, you mentioned the Sartorius research network. Could you tell us more about it?

It would be neither rational nor effective for us to do our research in isolation, to focus solely on our own thought processes and hope that a good idea emerges. This is not how innovations are made. We have to think outside the box, and that is an important principle of our research work. No single company can compete with the innovation capabilities of the entire research community or be proficient across all fields of technology. That is why we rely on collaborations and partnerships with leading experts – with our customers, with universities and research institutions, with start-ups, and with other companies. Many ideas and concepts come to us through this network, and we then integrate them together with our partners into our products and concepts. This approach has always been a core competence for Sartorius.

How big is this network?

Currently, we are working with approximately 500 external scientists worldwide. Many of them are in the United States and Europe because we focused on these regions in the beginning. In the coming years, we want to considerably expand our network in Asia – for example, in China and South Korea, where we are already in frequent contact with local partners. We aim to at least double the size of our network in the future. It is easy to imagine what kind of opportunities and innovation capabilities this will create for Sartorius.

Currently, we are working with approximately 500 external scientists worldwide. We aim to at least double the size of our network in the future. It is easy to imagine what kind of opportunities and innovation capabilities this will create for Sartorius.

Oscar-Werner Reif
Head of Corporate Research, CTO

What do you offer the scientists who collaborate with Sartorius?

For one, we support them in pursuing specific lines of scientific research, with both technical and financial assistance. This type of collaboration with scientists is quite common. We also operate what are known as open labs – for example, in Boston’s Seaport District, where numerous start-ups are located. There we provide a laboratory environment where external parties can test their ideas using our systems and processes. In addition to the open labs, we make it possible for scientists to work with Sartorius equipment for a limited time, like one to two years. We are also members of various consortia, clusters, and initiatives, and even play an executive role in some cases.

Who owns the innovations that emerge from these collaborations?

That is a very valid question. Intellectual property is a valuable asset that needs to be protected, and this is especially true in science. At the beginning of a collaboration, we make a contractual agreement stipulating who owns the intellectual property rights and how collaboration partners will be remunerated. For example, scientists working on joint projects can receive financial compensation through an inventor remuneration scheme. I think that Sartorius offers attractive conditions in this area and can be a good partner throughout a scientific career. In any case, this issue has not been a problem in any of our collaborations so far and we consider it as very important that the contribution, knowledge and assets of our partners are recognized and rewarded. We think "win-win": We believe that in such collaborations all partners must benefit.

How does a collaboration with another company work?

Needless to say, many companies want to apply for and hold patents. And it is possible to do this by commissioning and paying for a research project on your own. However, sometimes it is useful to team up with other companies because it can intensify the effects of your efforts. Here is one example: Sartorius is a member of the NIIMBL and AMBIC consortiums, which regularly invite participating universities to pitch solutions to a jointly formulated research question. The best approach is then funded from the contributions paid into the consortium.

Many companies have understood that complex problems cannot be solved without partners. We work with partners who have a genuine interest in finding a solution together.

Oscar-Werner Reif

So does the winning approach then belong to everybody?

Correct. In this case, the companies share ownership of the intellectual property. But there are still very good reasons to participate in these collaborations – patents are important, but they are not the only thing that is important. Many companies have understood that complex problems cannot be solved, or can only be solved slowly, without partners. At the same time, it is rare to work on new technologies with your direct competition. More often we work with partners who have a genuine interest in finding a solution together. For example, we have had some very successful collaborations with customers in consortia. For a relatively small financial investment, all partners can have access to a powerful network and promising ideas. For companies, this is a smart strategic decision; and for universities, it is also an attractive way to secure funding.

What role does Corporate Research play in the Sartorius Network?

The department sees itself as an enabler for our research network. For our permanent staff, we deliberately chose to have a relatively small but highly flexible team of experts who work at various locations around the world – so at Sartorius you will not find any large building that says: “Research Department.” My colleagues are highly committed to managing, expanding, and setting up new collaborations and networks outside of Sartorius. Some of our colleagues also work in our own open research laboratories.

Continue reading:

    Oscar-Werner-Reif: "We ask: ‘Does this technology add value for our customers and for patients?’”

    Oscar-Werner Reif: "The crucial factor to be innovation is the people, not the money"

More Information:

  Partnerships Corporate Research
  Open Innovation & Entrepreneurship