Resource

Innovating for Success: Enhancing Science Commercialization through Experimentation

Despite growing initiatives to bridge research and industry, many promising innovations fail to reach the market due to cultural, structural, and resource-related barriers. Experimentation — particularly through randomized trials — offers a powerful yet underused tool to test, refine, and scale interventions at different stages of commercialization support.

Drawing on the Innovation Growth Lab’s work, including the University–Industry Impact Accelerator, this essay illustrates how experiments can improve programme design, validate
assumptions, optimise outreach, and measure impact. And while implementing experiments can present challenges, such as limited sample sizes or data constraints, these are often manageable with thoughtful planning. Research institutions, funders, and policy actors
ought to embrace experimentation as an iterative learning process that reduces risk, improves outcomes, and builds a stronger evidence base for innovation policy.