Güven Sak, PhD - [Archive]

When the Russians did first climb the Everest? 24/04/2012 - Viewed 4132 times

When it comes to entrepreneurship, we belong to the school of “first succeed, then we'll talk.”

The height of Mount Everest is 8,848 meters. Climbing Everest is a dream for every mountaineer. Until today, many have attempted to climb to the peak; some have succeeded and some have failed. Climbing to the peak of Everest is such a big deal that there are books and movies about it. Successful attempts to climb the mountain are celebrated and failed attempts are described. Except for one. No one talks about the failed Russian expedition of 1952. So, today let me share an observation on the entrepreneurship culture here and there. Here is the key question: why do Turkish people who have carried out successful R&D activities abroad rust when they return to Turkey? What is it that affects their performance negatively? What is the problem of these territories? What turns bright researchers mediocre?

According to official figures, the first Russian expedition to the Everest was in 1952. Records state that eleven mountaineers reached the summit climbing the most difficult ridge. The first Russian attempt to climb the Everest, however, was in 1952. An expedition was made by a large team of climbers led by Pavel Datschnolian. During the expedition, Datschnolian and five members of the team died. Today, we know nothing about Pavel Datschnolian. There are no movies or books about the expedition, either. In the harshest times of the Cold War, just before they were about to launch Sputnik, a satellite the size of a beach ball, the Russians attempted to succeed in another area, but failed. Just like in “Mission: Impossible,” the famous series of movies of the Cold War era, before the tape explaining the mission to the team self-destructs, it says, “good luck, Jim. Should you or any member of your force gets caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.” It’s like “first succeed, then we'll talk.”

I think here lays the main reason why successful researchers allegedly become lazy when they return to Turkey: when it comes to entrepreneurship, we belong to the school of “first succeed, then we'll talk.” Just like Soviet Russia.

So, what is main message of the above story? That success is a personal matter. You assign the team; it succeeds or fails. I think the main problem about the entrepreneurship culture in our region lie here. Here, success and failure are completely personal. There are no support mechanism that will increase the chances of success. One who attempts a project bears the risk alone. If the personal risk is too high, the entrepreneur refrains from taking it. The "all or none" principle is bad.

And the question on top: Do researchers who conduct successful R&D activities in foreign universities become lazy when they return to Turkey? This is what those familiar with the issue say. But I think instead that they have just grown tired of it.

Today, we have support schemes implemented by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization. Also, a large number of ministries have self-fabricated R&D/innovation/entrepreneurship support systems. There is money that can be used for this purpose. It is possible to start and run a business at a technopark. What is lacking, then? Organization, to begin with. A researcher who wants to open a laboratory and benefit from these supportive elements has to work as a managing director and look after his accounts. He or she has to incubate the process in order to import materials in time, for instance. Second, the researcher is on his or her own if he or she wants to commercialize an invention. If the business fails, he or she bears the entire risk. This is not the case in developed countries. The risk of a failed trial can be shouldered collectively. Third, if a researcher takes all risks, tries and fails, he or she has to stand being mocked. No one will appreciate the endeavor. Just as in Pavel Datschnolian’s case.

The “first succeed and then we'll talk” period is about to reach its end. Where do you think the American business IP delegations come from and why are they coming to Turkey nowadays?

If you cannot support your entrepreneurs, somebody will take them away.

This commentary was published in Radikal daily on 24.04.2012