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Any researcher who leaves the academic world to start their own company will face a steep learning curve when it comes to the financial and business aspects. Nature's writers offer practical advice in this eight-page feature.
Fewer young people are wanting to study physics but universities are fighting back by designing more relevant courses. Graduates in the subject find plenty of openings in industry but a shortage of posts in the academic world.
Canada needs scientists from almost all disciplines to fuel its economy. In the past, the country's attractiveness to job-seekers has been overshadowed by that of the United States, but things are changing.
Academic research provides the basis for many commercial ventures; investors are confident that they will go on reaping the rewards. But it must be remembered that scientific knowledge is the property of all, not just the few.