At the end of June, our team attended Part One of a series on Diversity & Clinical Trials hosted by Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Newlab. The talk, entitled Access and Trust, featured panelists Ramona Burress of Janssen, Eric Roberts of Real Chemistry, and Sophia Goodison of GSK. Kimberly Tableman, CEO of Medicine X, moderated the event.

The discussion centered on the importance of recruiting diverse participants for clinical trials. It also highlighted some of the challenges and potential methods for establishing access and trust in clinical trials and beyond.

The panelists emphasized that building health equity is a collaborative process. It requires conscious, continuous effort and communication from all trial stakeholders: clinicians, participants, and sponsors.

Communicating with trial participants early and often

Clinical trials for new therapeutics and medical technologies aim to produce broadly applicable results. To ensure that new drugs and devices can help as many people as possible, Burgess, Roberts, and Goodison stressed that clinical trial leaders and staff must maintain clear and consistent communication throughout the trial. Clear communication helps trial leaders and staff to continuously gather input from participants. 

As such, the panelists strongly urged trial sites to initiate dialogue with participants as early as possible. Early patient engagement makes for more efficient, lower-cost studies. Most importantly, early engagement is an opportunity to build trust before a trial starts.

Consistent and transparent communication translates to participants feeling appreciated. They may also view trial site clinicians as more reliable and trustworthy. In the end, that trust yields higher retention and, consequently, stronger results.

Utilizing communication technologies to inform, educate, and empower

Poor communication in clinical trials can lead to hesitancy, distrust, and subject dropout. Roberts stated that effectively utilizing communication technologies, like smartphones, in clinical trials “informs, educates, and empowers.” Ultimately, communication technologies can enable higher levels of trust among participants.

Smartphones and similar devices are also important tools for addressing barriers to access. They can circumvent physical distance as an obstacle by virtually bringing trials to participants. They can also help clinicians identify disparities in healthcare access.

Further, communication technologies help streamline the informed consent process by providing clear, detailed answers to participants’ questions. Communication technologies are a powerful force in bridging gaps in accessibility, educating trial participants, and enabling trust.

Social media and the power of infectious trust

Social media plays a powerful role in shaping public perception. People are continually exposed to information through social media and often use it to research answers to questions they have. As such, it is critical to consider the role that the accuracy of information shared via social media (or lack thereof) could impact participants’ trust. In turn, trust can affect retention and a study’s effectiveness. 

Social media also has many benefits. For example, social media influencers can play an important role in amplifying trust. Collaborating with social media influencers is a creative way to increase clinicians’ reach to populations who may not even be aware of their eligibility for certain trials. 

Considering influencers’ power on consumer behavior to create what Burress called “infectious trust” may aid a trial site’s efforts at repairing hesitancy and addressing any concerns participants have.

Developing inclusive technology in any industry

At SeedSprint we facilitate collaboration between startups, universities, and corporations that fosters positive and sustainable change. 

While the J&J Innovation and Newlab Series on Diversity & Clinical Trials is focused on clinical trials, its themes resonate in product development for all industries. Innovators in technology areas from chemical and materials to software to transportation and beyond can learn from the panelists’ wisdom.

Understanding how to develop widely accessible technology that can benefit as many people as possible is essential to forging more inclusive innovation ecosystems. We must listen to the prospective beneficiaries of our technology, gain their trust, and empathize with their needs. In the end, their insights will help us develop solutions with the greatest impact.

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At the 2021 AUTM Annual Meeting last month, we attended a session called “Flex Your Soft Power: Impact From Social Science.” The panel featured three speakers: Professor Julia Black, Chair of ASPECT and Strategic Director of Innovation at London School of Economics and Social Science; Melanie Knetsch from the Social and Economic Research Council; and Cristoph Groller, Managing Director of Grogen and Koller.

During the talk, the speakers explored the importance of Social Science research, some of the difficulties in commercialization, and introduced emerging groups that are bridging Social Science research and businesses. 

What is ASPECT?

ASPECT is a growing network of organizations working to encourage collaboration between academics and businesses and apply Social Science research to private and social enterprises. The organization seeks to encourage research collaboration and build partnerships between academia and industry. Currently based in the UK, ASPECT has many notable members including the University of Oxford and the University of Bristol. ASPECT is rapidly expanding its activities and funding to make Social Science research more accessible. Global expansion is next on the agenda.

Why Social Science Research is Just as Important as STEM

Although ASPECT has taken on some similar projects as STEM research groups do, there are some important distinctions. There is a common misconception that Social Science is the light version of STEM. In reality, Social Science research tends to be smaller, and market competition is greater. However, this is just the start of a long list describing the difficulties of having Social Science research acknowledged compared to STEM. 

This is where ASPECT steps in. Social Science researchers can use ASPECT as a tool to overcome hurdles in getting their work noticed. ASPECT pools resources and experiences. The effect enables members to benefit from scale and network effects. 

Social Science and business engagement: the UK context

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is one of the nine councils that make up the UK Research and Innovation body. ESRC aims to unlock the potential for collaboration between Social Science and business. 

Through conversations with the ESRC community, Melanie Knetsch noticed some challenges. For example, is it ethical for Social Science to help businesses profit? What is the added value that Social Science can bring to businesses? How do we adapt tech transfer offices (TTOs), typically designed to be a “STEM point of entry,” to conversations that also suit Social Science research? 

Ms. Knetsch then started thinking about Social Science commercialization in terms of “business readiness levels.” She based the readiness levels on the business model, ethical considerations, adoption, and tools needed to implement the project. Considering these business readiness levels further enforced the importance of integrating Social Science into business to streamline innovation. 

Exploring “business readiness levels” for Social Science then brought Knetsch to the question of what added value the ESRC can provide as a funder. Currently, the ESRC has identified “bringing awareness of Social Science” as one of its areas for improvement. In pursuit of this goal, ESRC is working with university professionals and TTOs to broaden engagement with businesses, foster partnerships, and recognize strides in Social Science innovation through the Impact Prize program.

ESRC hopes to become a global leader in Social Science-business partnerships. In the end, they hope these endeavors can propel Social Science innovation to a new level. 

Unleashing the Impact Power of Social Science and Humanities

As a society, we have excelled at rapid innovation in the past hundreds of years. We have created new technologies and solved problems that we once only dreamed of. At the same time, rapid change often goes unchecked. The true impact of technology is hard to measure. Social Science has the potential to measure this impact.

There is a growing call to action for academics in Social Science, Humanities, and the Arts to demonstrate their societal impact. Many of them think positively about what they can do with their academic work outside of academic circles. For example, Social Science researchers in Germany recently developed methods for lessening the discrepancy between female startup founders (15% of total startups), and female students at higher education institutions (59% of the student body). 

At SeedSprint, supporting the diverse and international community of innovators as they take their research from the lab to the marketplace is at the heart of our mission. We are thankful for the opportunity to learn from organizations like ASPECT and the ESRC about how we can achieve diversity and inclusivity in innovation across sectors. 

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Over the past two decades, innovation districts have changed the landscape of research, culture, and collaboration worldwide. Through innovation districts, under-resourced urban areas, often the vestiges of post-industrial decline, are transformed into vibrant social and economic hubs. Further, academic institutions, startups, and large corporates work in close proximity and are united by the shared goal of open innovation.

Increasingly, innovation districts are engaging their local communities as essential thought and talent partners. These relationships foster systemic linkages between innovation and inclusivity. At SeedSprint, we endeavor to bring this model into the virtual sphere.

Today, there are over 100 innovation districts around the world. In the past, we have highlighted innovation hotspots around the world.

Now, we turn to the continent where it all began: Europe. Here are five innovation districts you need to know.

22@Barcelona: The Birthplace of Modern Innovation Districts

The concept of an innovation district was born in Barcelona, Spain in the year 2000. At that time, 22@Barcelona became the first municipal initiative of its kind. The district was the brainchild of the city council committee, Ajuntament de Barcelona. Since its inception, its goal has been to foster social, urban, and economic development.

Over the past 20 years, 22@Barcelona has successfully transformed El Pablenou, a former cotton mill district close to the city center, into a knowledge center and innovation hub.

Today, 22@Barcelona employs 90,000 people, houses 4,500 new companies, and attracts startups from around the world. The district’s greatest success is its emphasis on creating the social opportunities required for economic and cultural development. Most notably, the district promotes affordable housing, high living and working standards, and accessibility via public transit and walkability. The district also emphasizes the cross-sector collaboration of universities and research institutions, large corporations, startups, and the local community. 

According to the Barcelona & Catalonia Startup Hub’s 2019 report, Barcelona now has over 1,500 startups in more than 40 industries. 22@Barcelona’s success has inspired many cities around the world. Read on to discover some other European innovation districts that have followed suit!

Cumulus Amsterdam: Expanding Beyond Traditional Sectors 

In 2019, Amsterdam’s Cumulus Park emerged as a collaboration between the City of Amsterdam, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), ING, and ROC College. Located in the Zuidoost neighborhood, the district was historically home to a cadre of medical research institutions.

Today, Cumulus Park offers physical spaces for students and entrepreneurs and myriad networking opportunities. The district is also in the process of opening a business campus.

Silicon Allee: Green Technology Innovation

Berlin’s innovation district, Silicon Allee, began as an online community in 2017. Silicon Allee aims to amplify the city’s technology startup scene as an international hub for open innovation. Mirroring Berlin’s innate sense of community and affordability, its campus includes offices, apartments, restaurants and bars, and event spaces. 

Silicon Allee serves as an “embassy” to Berlin’s blossoming startup scene. It promotes relationship-building between international partners and residents, allowing for open innovation to grow organically. Recently, Silicon Allee has been active in fostering green technology innovation in response to the ongoing climate crisis.

MIND Milan: The Resiliency of the Innovation District Model

In 2015, MIND Milan was established with the goal of boosting the life sciences sector. Fast forward to 2020, and Milan was, unfortunately, severely impacted in the early stages of the pandemic.

In response, the city has turned its innovation district, MIND, into a source of collaboration and social and economic revitalization. The district developed the MIND Reboot Plan for Italy. The plan’s key strategy was to leverage impact investments. These investments re-allocate resource that benefit the local community by combining sustainable economic development with social and scientific innovation.

Kampus Plus Warsaw: The Next Generation of Innovation Districts

Propelled by an economic growth rate that has quadrupled over the last 20 years, Warsaw is now home to Poland’s first innovation district, Kampus Plus. Like districts before it, Kampus Plus brings together universities, R&D, and locals to foster technology, product, and service innovation. 

Kampus Plus uses a “Living Lab” model to put innovations to the test in the very environment where they will be used: the city itself. This method promotes responsive and open innovation that reflects the real needs of the market and the local community.

Connect and Collaborate

To aid your further exploration of Europe’s innovation district scene and which ones may be the right partners for you, we have created a dynamic map. Watch this space to keep up-to-date on the latest additions as Europe continues to be a leader in open innovation.

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Dear SeedSprint Community,

Over the past few weeks, our team has been busy gathering the resources and conducting the research needed to get our SeedSprint 100 Hours Project off the ground! Through a series of internal dialogues and external engagements with Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultants and experts, we have sought to clarify how to best move this project forward in service of BIPOC communities, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. On that note, we’re grateful for those of you who have already contributed to this project, which we first announced on our blog last month. 

What’s next? We’ve accelerated our pace and are moving forward swiftly. This means landing a DEI Partner, and in partnership with them, clarifying the arc of the project, including a program description, selection criteria, application materials, and a project timeline. We will aim to share our next meaningful progress update by early August. It is also our goal to reach as many people as possible when we launch. Therefore, we welcome any recommendations you have for message boards, websites, or other platforms where we should (re)post the details of the SeedSprint 100 Hours Project. Feel free to leave your advice in the comments below, and/or email Aviva at aviva@seedsprint.com. Stay tuned for our next update! 

All the best,

The SeedSprint Team

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At the 2020 BIO International Convention last month, we attended an insightful session led by Black biotechnology company CEOs, allies, and BIO leaders about their experiences as pioneers in the field and their suggestions for how other biotechnology leaders can advance equity and social justice in their organizations. We’ve been looking for ways to continue the conversation, so here are seven upcoming events that celebrate and advance diversity and inclusion in STEM that you won’t want to miss! 

(1) SACNAS x 500 Women Scientists Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, July 12 from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free. 

As part of the Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, you can help edit, enhance, and create biographies of female and non-binary BIPOC scientists on Wikipedia. The event is jointly organized by SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) and 500 Women Scientists, two nonprofits dedicated to making science more accessible and inclusive. Wikipedia editing and content writing training will be offered as part of the event. You can read the instructions and register here!  If you can’t attend this time, 500 Women Scientists regularly organizes edit-a-thons to support women in science.

(2) A Call for Diversity in Science, Medicine & Academia, July 16 from 1:00 PM-2:30 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free.

Organized by NYC Builds Bio+, this event with gather executives from academia, industry, and venture capital to address disparities in the representation, retention, and recruitment of Black science and medical professionals. The event will include panel presentations, Q&A sessions with the audience, and networking. The event was developed in response to the #ShutDownAcademia and #ShutDownSTEM initiatives, which urged scientists from around the world to stop their work and reflect on inequalities in STEM on June 10, 2020.  You can register and join the discussions here.

(3) WIB-Chicago: Diversity and Inclusion: A Journey for One and All, July 23 from 6:30 PM-8:30 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free. 

This event celebrates the career achievements of Black women in the life sciences and will include virtual networking and a fireside chat organized by Women In Bio (Chicago Chapter). The invited speakers are Dr. Angela James, Director of Global Development at Astellas Pharma, and Dr. Tammy Smithers, Co-founder of the newly-established International Center for the Study of Advocacy in Social Justice at the University of St. Thomas and a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University. Dr. James and Dr. Smithers will share their stories and challenges on their road to successful careers in the life sciences. You can register here!

(4) BIPOC in STEM: an Online Panel, July 25 from 1:00 PM-3:00 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free. 

Organized by Queer Atlantic Canadian STEM (QAtCanSTEM), this event will include a panel of industry professionals from across different STEM fields. Topics of conversation include their STEM expertise, their career paths, and their experience as BIPOC in STEM. Invited panelists include Dr. Omisoore H. Dryden, the James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies and Associate Professor of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, and Dominique Deguzman, a software engineer at Twilio, among others. Register here! 

(5) STEMFest 2020, July 31 to August 2 — Cost of Attendance: $75 for the complete experience.

This virtual conference is organized by NOIRE STEAM, an education outreach and networking company with a mission to empower those underrepresented in STEM to thrive in STEM careers. The focus of the event is building a toolkit to help you stand out in your STEM career path of choice. The event is split into sessions dedicated to each of the five principles guiding the organization—N.O.I.R.E: Networking effectively, Ownership for STEM professionals, Innovation is key, Research – a necessity for success, Elevate – Growth for yourself and your community. You can attend selected sessions or the complete event. You can purchase your tickets here.

(6) NSBE- 46th Annual Convention, August 19 to August 23 — Cost of Attendance: $70-385.

The annual meeting of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) will take place virtually this year. NSBE is one of the largest student-led organizations in the US with a mission to “increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.” The meeting agenda is to be announced, however, based on previous years, we expect career development workshops, discussion panels, networking, and mentoring sessions led by students and engineers in academia and industry. You can register here.

(7) Tapia Conference 2020, September 16 to September 19 — Cost of Attendance: $100-300.

This annual event will take place virtually this year and is a celebration of diversity in the computing community. This year’s theme is “Inclusion drives innovation.” True to the conference’s mission, the seminars, workshops, panel discussions, round tables, and networking opportunities will focus on the unique challenges Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other underrepresented communities face in computing careers. A few highlights from the schedule include sessions on how to create inclusive user studies, how to make artificial intelligence research accessible, and how to start your career at a startup. You can purchase early-bird tickets before the end of July here.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with all of you! Is there an upcoming event you’d like to share? Let us know about it in the comments!

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Over seven-thousand people worldwide attended this year’s BIO (Biotechnology Innovation Organization) International Convention from June 8-12, 2020, which was held online for the first time. Our team participated in the historic event and enjoyed catching up with old SeedSprint members, meeting new ones, and attending world-class sessions like a fireside chat with Dr. Fauci(!!) and several sessions led by BIO’s new President and CEO, Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath. 

The week-long event highlighted how global and diverse our community is and the unique perspectives each of us bring to the fields of biotechnology and open innovation. Both at the convention and outside of it, many of us have been engaging in essential public dialogue about equity and the dire need to better support and foster the development of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx members of our community and others who are underrepresented in STEM and open innovation. Many have expressed the need for real change, and we are excited that so many thought leaders in our field—from BIO to AUTM to the Innovation Research Interchange (IRI)—are contributing to the much-needed conversation. We recommend checking out AUTM’s reading list, the IRI’s statement as well as some words from member companies like Michelin and General Electric, and our plan of action for furthering social justice through our work at SeedSprint. 

BIO contributed to the conversation on equity and inclusivity by hosting a series of sessions on these topics during the convention. Our team attended a few of these talks, including “Leading Through Crisis: Speaking Up and Out on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Issues Impacting our World.” In the session, Black biotechnology company CEOs, allies, and BIO leaders shared their perspectives as pioneers in their fields. They discussed the challenges and victories they’ve encountered along the way and suggested tangible ways for other biotechnology leaders to advance social justice in their organizations. Dr. McMurry-Heath hosted the session and speakers included Dr. Ted Love, president and CEO of Global Blood Therapeutics; Dr. Jeremy Levin, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Ovid Therapeutics; and Dr. Tony Coles, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cerevel Therapeutics. The speakers covered topics including the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented populations, what we can do to drive systematic change in our businesses, and the importance of advancing diversity in clinical trials. You can watch the full session (and several others!) here.

We should all be looking for tangible ways to make our workplaces more inclusive, and Dr. Coles spoke to this point. He shared that at his company, the first step he took was to have frank conversations with employees about diversity and inclusion and ask how he and other leaders could help Black, Indigenous, and Latinx employees feel valued and supported at work. He suggested practical steps that biotechnology CEOs can take to advance this mission, like hiring people from diverse backgrounds. He emphasized that diverse representation within the company can build trust not only within the organization itself but also among the communities the company serves. 

Dr. Love echoed Dr. Coles’ sentiment, urging organizations to be intentional about diversity, work to bring the best out in everyone, and keep in mind that since we serve a diverse population, we have to get input from everyone. We can only build a strong team when we include diverse voices and focus on the value employees contribute to the organization, he said. Both Dr. Coles and Dr. Love pointed out that instead of feeling ashamed of what has happened in the past, we should instead put our energy into making tangible improvements in our own organizations and communities. Dr. Levin added that if we fail to live, lead, and act with equity and inclusion in mind, we will eventually lose our way and fail to adequately address the needs of the communities we aim to serve. 

As Dr. Love summarized, we have to move from emotions to actions. Dr. Levin urged us to lead by example by setting high standards for ourselves, proactively and consistently communicating these standards to our teams, and being relentless about having these conversations on a daily basis. He continued by asking the audience to pay special attention to team dynamics, support opportunities for teamwork and team bonding, and be intentional about building a culture of collegiality. 

At SeedSprint, supporting the diverse and international community of inventors and innovators as they take their technology from the lab to the marketplace is at the heart of our mission. We’re thankful for organizations like BIO for helping us advance this mission and we look forward to learning more from BIO and other thought leaders about how we can work together toward achieving greater equity and inclusivity in open innovation and STEM!

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Dear SeedSprint community,

Our team has been engaged in challenging and reflective internal conversations about the recent events that have transpired in the US. We are taking this time to listen and learn and share an update on the actions we will take to fight racism, advance social justice, and amplify the voices of BIPOC in science and open innovation.

We stand in solidarity with Black communities and their allies and stand against racism and the marginalization of Black communities, and we affirm the goals of the Black Lives Matter movement. We share the anger and horror over the loss of the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, Dominique Rem’mie Wells, and those of many others over the decades-long failure of justice that underlies the recent events, and we fear for new victims. We understand the immediate need for meaningful and collective action and lasting change and pledge to be part of the solution.

In reflecting on our responsibility as part of the community of inventors and innovators committed to advancing science and technology, we can and must do more. To become a truly anti-racist organization we will educate our team on anti-racist actions to be taken within SeedSprint and in our wider community; commit to recruiting, supporting, and retaining more BIPOC talent; and do a better job of identifying, fostering, and pointing out the work of BIPOC scientists, open innovation professionals, and startup founders in the content we publish.

We are committed to doing this work, and we are taking three initial steps:

1. Starting next week, we will begin a program of dedicating 100 hours of the time of our three most senior team members to identifying, recruiting to our platform, and supporting new deep-tech startups that are led by BIPOC scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs and/or address disparities in BIPOC communities and work to broaden inclusion and access. We will support their development by devoting our expertise in helping them achieve their industry collaboration goals. We commit to providing further information about this initiative by July 17, 2020.
2. We will re-focus our hiring and professional development practices to make sure we are doing all we can to attract, hire, support, and retain BIPOC talent. We commit to updating our hiring and professional development program by July 31, 2020.
3. We will foster and amplify the contributions and perspectives of BIPOC scientists and open innovation professionals on our blog and in other published content, and we will seek to include diverse perspectives in developing our posted content. We commit to making these changes effective immediately.

We will continue to update the SeedSprint community on our progress toward these goals. We are here to listen and welcome questions, recommendations, or additional thoughts you may have to help us achieve the goals we have outlined above. Please reach out to aviva@seedsprint.com to share any ideas you have. We look forward to sharing this journey with all of you and continuing to support you in achieving these important goals to defeat racism, further social justice, and enrich our society by accelerating the movement of innovation from the lab into the marketplace.

The SeedSprint Team

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