From stone tools to the digital age, technology has fueled human progress. Yet, countless breakthroughs never leave the laboratory. This book explains why this happens and offers a practical roadmap to bridge the gap between invention and commercial success. By combining engineering insight with economic principles, it enables scientists and technologists to understand markets, operations, and finance while maintaining technical rigor.
Drawing lessons from historyfrom Edisons genius as an inventor-entrepreneur to strategies inspired by merchants, chess, and even living fossilsthe book demonstrates that "doing things right" is as important as "doing the right thing." Grounded in the Scandinavian model of innovation and packed with actionable guidance, this book sheds light on how to navigate commercialization pitfalls, protect intellectual property, and build scalable ventures.
It will appeal to scholars, researchers, inventors, and R&D leaders interested in turning research into real-world impact and achieving their full potential.
Chapter
1. The Entrepreneurial Journey of a Successful Inventor and
Businessman-Thomas Edison.
Chapter
2. From a Makeshift Troupe to Grand
Accomplishment: The Seven Dragon Balls Strategy on the Entrepreneurial
Journey.
Chapter
3. From Crawling to Upright: Was This Humanitys
Once-and-For-All Choice? Humankind Has Been Restless About It for Millions
of Years.
Chapter
4. Learning Entrepreneurship Through Academic Writing:
Refining Core Elements.
Chapter
5. Prioritizing R&D or Sales A Reflection
from the British Merchant Mindset vs. the German Rigorous Approach.
Chapter
6. Winning Through Strategic Positioning: Insights from the Comparison
Between Go and Chess on the Long-Term Value of Corporate Strategy.
Chapter
7. Asymmetric Advantage Transforming Technical Depth into Commercial
Moats.
Chapter
8. Differentiation and Homogenization in Team Building.-
Chapter
9. Automation vs. Centralization: The Hidden Marginal Cost of
Centralization.
Chapter
10. Supply Chains: The Cornerstone of Corporate
Strategy With a Discussion on the Boundaries of Independent R&D.
Chapter
11. Paradigm Shift in Business Logic: From Products to Scenarios, from
Industries to Ecosystems.
Chapter
12. Adapting to Change vs. Responding to
Change from Constancy.
Chapter
13. Monetization Breakthroughs for
Researchers-Turned-Entrepreneurs.
Chapter
14. Scientific Thinking vs.
Engineering Thinking: The Twin Wings of Corporate Strategic Planning.-
Chapter
15. Persist or Adapt: How to Choose When Direction Is Unclear.-
Chapter
16. The Wisdom of Maritime Civilization Complementary Balance and
the Survival Laws of Modern Entrepreneurial Teams.
Chapter
17. The Death of
the Neanderthals: Why Strength and Intelligence Could Not Save Them.
Chapter
18. The First Principles of Success: Imitate Those Who Have Achieved
Results.
Chapter
19. From Evolutionary Strategies to Business Wisdom:
Navigating the Survival Rules of an Uncertain Era.
Chapter
20. From Paper
Publication to Product Endorsement: How to Win Public Trust.
Chapter
21.
From Tulips to Bitcoin: How to Give a Product Lasting Monetary Value.-
Chapter
22. Perseverance and Adaptability Understanding the Choices of
Modern Youth through Agrarian and Nomadic Civilizations.
Chapter
23.
Respecting the Weak, Embracing Diversity: Long-Term Survival Principles in an
Uncertain World.
Chapter
24. The Cognitive Dilemma of Entrepreneurship Why
Grand Visions Often Stall at the Details.
Chapter
25. End-State Thinking:
Foreseeing the Inevitable, Strategizing the Present.
Chapter
26. Terminal
Cost Understanding the Evolutionary Logic of Business.
Chapter
27. The
Secret to Longevity is Petrification: Survival Strategies from the
Horseshoe Crab.
Chapter
28. Constancy in Evolution: The Survival Wisdom of
Living Fossils.
Shuai Li is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the University of Oulu, Finland, and an Adjunct Professor at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in Oulu. He earned his B.E. in Precision Mechanical Engineering from Hefei University of Technology, China, his M.E. in Automatic Control Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China, and his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA. His research focuses on robotics, autonomous systems, and intelligent control. Li is among the pioneers in applying machine learning to robotic system control with an emphasis on safety certification and performance guarantees. In recognition of his outstanding research achievements, he has been elected a member of the European Academy of Sciences.
