Translational research policies: disruptions and continuities in biomedical innovation systems in Austria, Finland and Germany

The influence of "industry policy" and "financial institution" configuration effect on innovation performance of China's biomedical industry-based on necessary condition analysis and qualitative comparative analysis

Biomedical industry is a strategic emerging industry in China, especially the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. The biomedical industry is characterized by high risk, high investment, high technology and long cycle, and each stage contains risks and challenges. How to optimize the policy environment and financial environment, explore the unique "policy" and "finance" model for the development of the biomedical industry, and improve the innovation performance has become an important issue. This paper analyzes the relationship among industry policy, financial institution and innovation performance in the biomedical industry from the configuration perspective, combining necessary condition analysis (NCA) and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) research methods, using the A-share listed enterprises in Shanghai and Shenzhen in the biomedical industry from 2012 to 2020 as the research objects. It is found that (1) individual policy preference or financial institution dimension cannot constitute a necessary condition for generating high innovation performance of biomedical company, but increasing tax incentive and raising the proportion of equity-based financing method play a significant role in generating high innovation performance; (2) four "political" and "financial "synergistic grouping paths can generate high innovation performance, including tax incentives, financial institutions' professional level and institutional background synergistic drive type; government subsidy, financing method and financial institutions' professional level synergistic drive type; tax incentive and financing method synergistic drive type; tax incentive and institutional background drive type. Different synergistic grouping paths represent various ways to achieve high innovation performance of biomedical enterprise. In addition, the results show that the two "political" and "financial" groupings lead to low-to-medium innovation performance, which indicates that industry policy plays a very important role in the innovation performance and that the government's support for emerging industries through policy is a significant force for the innovation development. This paper introduces the "political" and "financial" aspects to investigate the configuration effect of industry policy and financial institutions on the innovation performance of biomedical enterprise. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications for revealing the synergistic path of high innovation performance in the Chinese biomedical industry.

The multiple meanings of translational research in (bio)medical research

Translational research is a buzzword which dominates discussions about the quality, the utilization, and the benefits of (bio)medical research. Yet, although translational research has become a prominent topic, no commonly agreed definition of this terminology exists. Instead, experts from different contexts such as biomedical research, clinical practice or nursing discuss translational research in multiple ways depending on how they define the problem that translational research is supposed to be the solution to. In this paper, we do not seek to find a 'correct' definition of translational research, but instead ask how actors using this terminology for describing their own research make sense of it. To do so, we asked three questions: Which actors are engaged in the debate about translational research? What kind of different meanings of translational research exist? And, which actors refer to which meaning of translational research when using the term? In answering these questions, we highlight the role this terminology plays in defining what medical science is about today.

Optimising Translational Research Opportunities: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Basic and Clinician Scientists' Perspectives of Factors Which Enable or Hinder Translational Research

INTRODUCTION

Translational research is central to international health policy, research and funding initiatives. Despite increasing use of the term, the translation of basic science discoveries into clinical practice is not straightforward. This systematic search and narrative synthesis aimed to examine factors enabling or hindering translational research from the perspective of basic and clinician scientists, a key stakeholder group in translational research, and to draw policy-relevant implications for organisations seeking to optimise translational research opportunities.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We searched SCOPUS and Web of Science from inception until April 2015 for papers reporting scientists' views of the factors they perceive as enabling or hindering the conduct of translational research. We screened 8,295 papers from electronic database searches and 20 papers from hand searches and citation tracking, identifying 26 studies of qualitative, quantitative or mixed method designs. We used a narrative synthesis approach and identified the following themes: 1) differing concepts of translational research 2) research processes as a barrier to translational research; 3) perceived cultural divide between research and clinical care; 4) interdisciplinary collaboration as enabling translation research, but dependent on the quality of prior and current social relationships; 5) translational research as entrepreneurial science. Across all five themes, factors enabling or hindering translational research were largely shaped by wider social, organisational, and structural factors.

CONCLUSION

To optimise translational research, policy could consider refining translational research models to better reflect scientists' experiences, fostering greater collaboration and buy in from all types of scientists. Organisations could foster cultural change, ensuring that organisational practices and systems keep pace with the change in knowledge production brought about by the translational research agenda.

Translational research in practice

Readers will now be familiar with the notion of 'translational research'. According to its generally acknowledged progenitor, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US, this is a kind of research agenda focused on translating or applying the research findings from basic/preclinical studies to human studies and perhaps most especially treatment trials; and, the translation of clinical research findings to the community so that evidence-based best practice is adopted.