Academic Research vs. Industry Research | Academia or Industry

Industry cares more about a project that can actually work. Who has published a PhD with work that has actually worked in three years? let me know

Thanks for this. I recently finished my master's thesis in biomedical engineering and have been working in the biomedical industry for almost a year. My experience in grad school was tough, but I do miss the intellectual freedom of academia. In industry (at least for my current employer) projects are profit-driven, while in academia projects are driven by innovation. I ultimately didn't pursue a Ph.D. since I have a toddler to raise. And PhDs in academia are often underpaid in lecturer and assistant professor positions. Only if you reach tenure/associate professor level, will you feel more secure and pay reflective of your skillset.

I also feel academics have more work-life balance since you dictate your teaching and research. Also, you have more holiday breaks and summers off. In industry, you're obligated to be on site 5 days a week for at least 40 hours, with 10-15 PTO days a year. And in the industry, the research you want to pursue has to be aligned with company leadership, who often are driven by cost-effectiveness rather than maximizing product quality.

Overall, if you value intellectual freedom more than anything, go into academia. If you invent something worth a patent in industry, the company's name goes on the patent, not the scientists who developed the product. In academia, all IPs are under your name, and this you get more notoriety. If I had the time and resources I would go back to do a Ph.D. and pursue an academic career. But for now, I'll be in the industry for the next few years

Industry research is much more rewarding, monetarily speaking.

Toby is the best!

is research in academia and industry similar? For example, I have heard that industry scientists apparently do not got as in depth with the science. How does research procedure differ in the two? For example in academia, it starts with 1) finding the unmet need 2) doing a literature review of the topic 3) setting up the experiment 4) collecting results 5) analysing results and writing the paper. Does industry research work that way or differently? I have heard that industry research doesn't involve doing the literature review and the paper writing part. Is that true?

i badly required this video thank u❤❤

I wasn't expecting to fall in love watching YT, especially twice at the same time, gosh :')

Hi great video, I couldn't see the FAQ, so I'd like to ask what industry companies you work or used to work for ? Thanks

I have done PhD in physics and want to do a post doctorate but also want to get into industry after this. Please express your views.

Great video, great conversation!

A big challenge is the lack of dialogue between academia and industry: academia assumes the problem is one issue, while industry has already learned (through financially incentivized trial and error) that the problem is more complex or completely different. On the one hand, industry doesn't share information, because it's a trade secret, so no one really talks about it. On the other hand, academia has resources to invest months or years in the tedious analysis of minor/recurring problems that can later affect a product.

A great example is the research surrounding lithium batteries: industry has developed a very good product with historically imperfect materials (graphite and flammable electrolytes), but doesn't necessarily know why that is the case at a fundamental level (the recipients of the 2019 Nobel Chemistry Prize facilitated this understanding). Academia on the other hand has erroneously believed that the problem of safety and limited capacity can be solved with a magic bullet (solid electrolytes, etc), but on the positive side has developed very sophisticated analytical techniques (e.g. focused ion beam cryo TEM).

The former has invaluable empirical data, but not the time or disposable risk-money to throw at very expensive techniques with slim outcomes, while the latter lacks a basic knowledge of successful systems, but can do an in-depth study of a very specific problem (e.g. composition of the electrode surface), without fearing a negative outcome, thanks to government funding.

Usually the most successful academics are ones that can speak both languages and navigate both cultures (think of Shirley Meng or Jeff Dahn), and understand that it's ok for academics to keep secrets. Similarly, industry can benefit from academic help, by forming partnerships with local universities, protected by NDAs.

Best of luck on your PhD Jess, I'll be curious to know how it has interacted with your industry experience!

watching this as senior undergrad bioengineering gives me horror of my future job! god engineering is hard major!

I think flexibility is definitely better in Academia. Having done both for many years, I love industrial research more. Industrial research is usually paired with quicker decision making, so you get a better sense of the work importance, which helps you double down on the research quality.

The motivation in accademia should be to expand knowledge, as opposite to find a solution for to an existing problem, or to make something more profitable. Profit should not matter in academia, this is my opinion

I am a second year linguistics student. And I feel so confused, I would like to be a professor but the salaries for associate professors are at most 3000. But I do not know what can I do with my degree in industry. I wanna do masters in computational linguistics. Any advice????

Well, I have done internships which were not paid, and now i regret it. As I felt I was being used for their work. I felt hurt but still didn't have courage to quit, as i was in dilemma what if i didn't get another one with good company name.

It's so interesting to hear experiences in academia and how they vary in the different subjects. I'm a cultural anthropology grad student and when I submitted my MA application I had to also submit my project proposal. Once I got accepted I was basically treated like an independent researcher and while I did have a supervising prof to answer questions she did not steer my project at all unless I specifically asked for her help. From what y'all are talking about it sounds more like the prof is the one setting the project and the grad student basically just performs the lab work and writes up the results?

I can't break through her resistance, fears of haunting evils. This is usual. May not be seen by friends tho. She wants to make help/intervention an enemy. I don't believe time and suppression will benefit her. It was described as jumping off a cliff in the quit video. If abandoning hope is the only solution, the next time could be worse.
She's isolating herself and needs another friend to encourage help-seeking to face up to whatever evils are haunting her. This will lead to strength and victory over imagined enemies. She still wants to make me the enemy regardless of what I say. Better that I bow out now. Try, if you will, to get her into therapy soon. Thx.

Great video !! Really informative !!!

What kind of job do you do where you get to clock off at 5 every day? Not a very good one

The question is... How do you do the least amount of time in Academia necessary to get into industry

So, you need a PhD to apply for a research work place in industry?

are you guys racist by any chance?

9 to 5 ??? You probably worked for a Northern Europe company. That would explain why Europe is lagging behind.

In Mediatek Asia people work 996 and in China I heard is the same.

In India (I worked w/ one too) engineers are almost enslaved.

In US when a project starts you are allowed to do a bit of 9 to 5. But that is only b/c you just pushed hard in the previous project.
Sooner or later that 9 to 5 goes out the window, if not for nothing else, you either run or you are outpaced by the ferocious competition. Furthermore your boss in an Eng. and he makes the schedule based on you working hard, b/c his boss is an Eng. too that is pushing him also, and so on and so forth till the CEO. My CEO in US was always(!) an Engineer. 30% to 50% of a project is done in "sense of urgency" mode meaning you need to work ~10h/day (or more), do some weekends and in the last month is crushing time, like work all time while you're not asleep or eating, and do 9 to 5 on weekends.

If I knew what I know now I'd study to become the weather man, the only guy that can fail big and still keep his job. :)

这一期简直太他妈有帮助了

Hey Jess I have a question, in your opinion what are your thoughts about opportunities for a physics major vs engineering? In terms of employment, broadness, etc.

Hi, i have a question?
did you take more courses to learn other skills?

I hope that people find our experiences helpful! Thanks again for having me on your channel :)

I really enjoy the structure of industry, but wish I still had some of the freedom of academia!

This video was EXTREMELY well done!!

Totally agree, now on a placement in a research sector of the company and most of the time when some method during the research and learn process turned out not working or working well enough for the at most the 2nd or 3rd time, it's either abandoned or "put into the long grass"

One difference is: Industrial research is always "technological research", instead Academic research could be "technological research", "scientific research" or both

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Uuu the video I just needed

Your looking so so Cute😍

I love you black T-shirt girl

i love watching both your channels so it's really nice for you guys to come together :)