From new therapies for drugs and energy production to the development of computer chips, science has provided the foundation for many of the world’s greatest technological innovations. While innovation is the main driving of science, business is all about profit and keeping shareholders happy. Traditionally, the sciences and business have been thought of as separate entities. But, they are inextricably linked, and it is impossible to disentangle the impact of scientific research from its business impacts.
While business is concerned with profits, the long-term implications of its decisions can be significant for the environment, social economic, and environmental impacts. Science is also concerned about the impacts of its actions and its decisions, particularly those regarding the exploitation of resources and sustainability. A well-run business, for instance, will exploit a resource to the level which is sustainable. But greedy businesses have led to over-exploitation of natural resources and ecological disaster.
We have classified the various ways that corporations try to influence science at macro and meso scales and have coded the intended outcomes and effects of these strategies (TL carried out the initial analysis, AG second-coded 20 per percent of papers). We found that corporations employ five macro-level strategies that work collectively to reduce the perceived credibility of unfavourable science and maximize favorable science. These strategies are implemented by meso strategies that, over time, skew the evidence base in favour of industry. This has three distal effects: to cast doubt on the harms that could be caused by industrial products and practices; promote policy responses that are in favour of industry; and to maximise sales, consumption, and use of industry-related products.
