In the past over 20 years, the pace of innovation is accelerating. Links between science, technology and business are numerous. It is no secret that these links are increasing in number and extent. Both governments and business assert that this close relationship is generally positive for science and technology on the one hand and society on the other. However, there is growing evidence that this relationship brings with it a range of detrimental effects. In addition, it is clear that the commercial influences change the ways that researchers do on the scientific research.
The main concerns about commercial influence on science and technology uncovered by this study and presented in detail in this essay are:
Firstly, one of the most negative consequences that corporations and industries had on research was forcing scientists to turn their attention from the actual work to producing patentable materials, as well as due to a huge of profits return, some researchers focus on the researching speed rather than the quality. In order to get a good experiment results, some researchers will change experimental date. In this case, they may fail easily or receive worse consequences.
Secondly, for university, on the influence of the business, they behave more like businesses, while key attributes of the academic ethos such as openness, objectivity and independence are being seriously eroded. With growing business influence on universities is resulting in a greater focus on intellectual property rights in academic work. Hence knowledge is increasingly being ‘commodified’ for short-term economic benefit. This can weaken its benefit that can application for wider public, and produces a narrow approach to scientific curiosity.
Third, Companies have expanded the number and range of partnerships with universities, focusing on business research priorities and goals. The power and influence of some corporations, and the increased pressure on researchers to bring in funding from business, means that academic departments are increasingly orientating themselves to commercial needs rather than to broader public interest or curiosity-driven goals. Especially evident in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and military partnerships. For example, there is virtually no university engineering department in the United Kingdom that does not receive funds from the arms industry. Joint research projects have brought experts so close to corporations, that it's virtually impossible to separate the two, and look at the scientists as independent（S,& Langley, C(2009) New Scientist.
However, in many aspect of commercial impact play a signification role. For example, the business can provide enough funding for scientific research; the scientist can make the most of enough funding to make contribution to society. So scientific research can not be indifferent to commercial active.
In conclusion, the only thing that could revert this situation is a widespread reform, of all parties involved in the research community. From government policy to individual research studies, people need to realize the importance of having independent science and not just for the immediate profit of a few. We must be careful not to make into a black and white issue. Whether the commercial join into scientific research or not, in many circumstance, are not competitive but complementary to each other, and serve different people for various purposes.
