Science Research Commercialization & Technopreneurship: Prospects and Synergetic Bottlenecks

Abstract

Commercializing scientific research outputs is a critical mechanism for translating academic knowledge into societal and economic benefits. Despite its recognized importance, the process from laboratory to marketplace is persistently hindered by systemic bottlenecks. This paper argues that a foundational, often overlooked, bottleneck lies in the epistemological and philosophical tensions between the dominant positivist paradigm in scientific research and the inherently interpretivist nature of commercialization. Using a conceptual review methodology grounded in the Triple Helix model and Kuhn’s paradigm theory, we demonstrate how this philosophical divide creates cultural and methodological chasms that impede effective technopreneurship. We present visual frameworks to illustrate these tensions, the “valley of death” funding gap, and the contrasting methodological requirements of discovery versus commercialization. Through a critical synthesis of literature and illustrative examples, we identify key prospects and obstacles, including funding misalignment, IP complexities, and a lack of genuine industry-academia symbiosis. The paper concludes with policy-oriented strategies centered on epistemological flexibility, enhanced technology transfer infrastructure, and the cultivation of a hybrid “technopreneurial” mindset. We argue that bridging the positivist-interpretivist divide is essential for unlocking the full innovation potential of scientific research. Keywords: