Moderator: Heiner Linke
Lund University, Schweden

Commercial and philanthropic funding increasingly shape what science gets done. Private capital can enable ambitious research beyond traditional funding mechanisms, but also shifts transparency, peer review, and academic freedom. Commercialization promises faster impact and economic growth, yet often moves knowledge generation and ethical oversight behind closed doors. These changes raise global questions: who sets research agendas, who benefits from scientific progress, and whose perspectives risk being left out?