Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Curious about the Future

2018; Wiley; Volume: 57; Issue: 16 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/anie.201711265

1521-3773

Stefan Oschmann,

Psychological and Educational Research Studies

"… We must excite people about the value and possibilities of science. For this we need ambitious plans that push the boundaries of what is possible. They can unleash a passion for discovery and a desire to pursue the new and the unknown. I am convinced that groundbreaking innovation is possible. Responsible entrepreneurship and scientific curiosity can still take us a lot further …" Read more in the Editorial by Stefan Oschmann. Since then, the sciences have made great progress—and so has the company Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. In the course of three-and-a-half centuries, the pharmacy developed into a global science and technology company with around 50 000 employees in 66 countries around the world. This is a tremendous success story that all employees can be proud of—especially the Merck family, which today still owns the majority interest in the company. An anniversary such as this one is of course a reason to celebrate. Above all, however, it is a reason to look ahead and to ask ourselves: What can we learn from this history? What makes a science and technology company successful over the long term? Many answers to these questions can be found in the management literature. Whether culture, strategy, or innovative strength, many reasons are believed to be responsible for long-term entrepreneurial success. The only rationale that seems certain is that there is no single success factor. If general reasons cannot be identified, then the only possibility is to look at specific ones. What has favorably impacted the entrepreneurial development of our company over three and a half centuries? In my opinion, there are two main reasons. First and foremost is of course the Merck family, who have been setting our company's course for more than 13 generations. Their long-term entrepreneurial strategy, which is based on their self-perception as trustees for future generations as well as a clear set of values, allows us to now mark our 350th anniversary. Responsible entrepreneurship has always been essential to our development. A very important role in the history of our company was played by Emanuel Merck, for instance. He took over the pharmacy in 1816. Emanuel Merck not only learned the pharmacy craft, as was customary at the time, but also received extensive scientific training. His research focused on the field of phytochemistry, particularly on alkaloids. Scientific interest in these highly effective active plant ingredients increased considerably after Friedrich Wilhelm Sertürner had detected morphine as an active substance in opium. Compared with the herbal preparations that were standard at the time, isolated alkaloids offered a decisive advantage: Physicians could dose them precisely, their effect in patients became calculable. Emanuel Merck succeeded in producing highly pure alkaloids that he provided to pharmacists, scientists, and physicians for further research. His products were well-received, demand grew, and soon he started supplying them to many European countries. Thanks to Emanuel Merck's passion for research and discovery, the pharmacy grew to become a research-driven industrial company. This example illustrates the second factor central to the successful development of our company: curiosity. In order to grow over decades and centuries, companies must recognize scientific innovations and make use of them—this applies to small-scale progress as well as to paradigm shifts. The history of the liquid-crystal business is a good example. At the beginning of the 20th century, our product range already included substances with liquid-crystalline properties that were of interest in basic research. But demand was extremely low, no technical application possibilities could be seen, and ultimately the business was terminated. At the end of 1960s, one of our researchers attended a scientific conference on liquid crystals in the United States. He was convinced of the potential of these substances, and started focusing on them together with his colleagues. Curious researchers thus laid the foundation for a business that is a pillar of our company today. This shows that companies must cultivate curiosity. But what does curiosity really mean? Together with partners from the world of science, we investigated this question and developed a measurable model of curiosity consisting of four components: Openness to other ideas—a preference for a variety of experiences and perspectives. Inquisitiveness—a knack for asking questions and analyzing ideas. Creativity in problem-solving—the willingness to try new methods. Distress tolerance—the ability to approach the new and unfamiliar with courage instead of fear. I am convinced that this definition of curiosity is more important today than ever before. It is not only companies, but also our society as a whole that needs more passion for research and discovery. That is because big tasks lie ahead. In September 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It defines 17 ambitious goals, for example ending both poverty and hunger as well as ensuring good health and well-being for people of all ages. For me, it is clear that in order to achieve these goals, we need scientific progress and new technologies. And we are making progress. Our technologies also are creating entirely new possibilities. Immunotherapies now have long-term efficacy in at least some cancer patients. Gene editing enables us to understand the functionality of individual genes much better than before—and this is a key foundation for new therapies. Organic photovoltaics allow us to transform building facades into energy sources. However, technological progress is raising new questions because our world is changing fundamentally. Moisés Naim, the former Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy magazine, writes that the importance of power is decaying. According to his analysis, today power is easier to get, harder to use, and easier to lose than ever before. Why? Because the barriers that had protected those in powerful positions for so long are easier to bypass and simpler to overcome. This applies above all to established companies. Today, a strong market position is far less of a guarantee of a successful future than it was in the past. The cases of Kodak and Nokia are prominent examples. For Naim, technological change is by far not the only reason for the downfall of power. But is it contributing to it. We're seeing this in our day-to-day business. New technologies are breaching old boundaries between industrial sectors and are redefining value chains. Cancer therapy is a good example. Modern IT systems and complex data analyses are meanwhile playing just as an important role as biology and chemistry. For the pharmaceutical industry, this is a fundamental development. Large IT companies meanwhile have a tremendous volume of health data—a growing danger for the previous unique selling proposition of the industry in terms of research and development. What does this mean for a well-established science and technology company like Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany? We must adapt the way we work in a rapidly changing world in which new companies can quickly grow. Most importantly, this means getting new technologies and business models to the market more quickly. We must accelerate decision-making processes, make knowledge and expertise transparent and accessible, and strengthen cooperation across functional and departmental boundaries. We need diverse and interdisciplinary teams and we need to value and appreciate outstanding scientists. Excellent researchers must be the stars in the company. Also in relations outside the company, the importance of organizational boundaries must diminish. Science and technology companies need to be closely networked with promising start-ups, leading research institutions, and universities. This is an idea that we have placed literally at the center of our company: our new Innovation Center forms the centerpiece of our global headquarters. Internal project teams and highly promising start-ups have everything they need there to quickly implement their business ideas outside the structures of a major corporate group. Efficient processes, a good working environment, and a high-performance infrastructure are all very important. Yet beyond this, we must excite people about the value and possibilities of science. For this we need the so-called moonshots, in other words ambitious plans that push the boundaries of what is possible. They can unleash a passion for discovery and a desire to pursue the new and the unknown. For the great German chemist Justus von Liebig, a friend of Emanuel Merck, science starts getting interesting where it ends. I believe that he was right. And I am convinced that groundbreaking innovation is possible. Responsible entrepreneurship and scientific curiosity can still take us a lot further.