Transitioning from Academia to Entrepreneurial Innovation in BCIs

Our first podcast guest is Dr. Christoph Guger, a PhD in electrical engineering who serves as the CEO of a g.tec company located in Austria.

This company is one of the major suppliers of brain-computer interface (BCI) equipment globally. Spring BCI School 2020, organized by Dr. Guger, made history as the first online BCI event of unprecedented scale - it had over 5500 registered participants.

As a method of measuring brain activity to control external devices in real-time, there are a variety of valuable uses for BCI, such as identifying the most important areas of the brain. BCI-based approaches lead to breakthroughs when it comes to the treatment of disorders of consciousness and other conditions such as epilepsies or the removal of tumors.

As our conversation reveals, BCI technology is developing at breakneck speed. Invasive methods are on the rise, and everyday uses for healthy people are becoming readily available. Dr. Guger goes in-depth on the evolution of this space and offers his best advice to those who wish to be a part of it or even to start their own business.

Why did Dr. Guger decide to dedicate his career to working with BCIs? What prompted him to become an entrepreneur? What success tips does Dr. Guger offer to scientists and engineers in both the private sector and academia? What are the latest developments in BCIs? What does the future of BCIs hold? These and many other questions will be covered in this first NeuroCareers podcast.

Stay tuned!

During this episode, you will learn about:

[01:57] Defining “brain-computer interface” (BCI) and its major applications

[06:45] What BCI is capable of today that was not possible ten years ago

[08:09] Why Dr. Guger dedicated his career to the development of BCIs

[10:20] Why Dr. Guger founded his own company instead of getting into academia

[11:54] Dr. Guger’s advice to those who want to start their own business in this or a similar field

[13:08] Overcoming common challenges as a startup entrepreneur in this industry

[14:30] The advantages of international collaborations

[16:03] Improving your communication skills

[17:26] How Dr. Guger’s company can maintain a high retention rate

[20:29] How Dr. Guger sets his goals

[22:10] The future of the company

[24:08] Preventing overwhelm as your company scales

[28:27] How the company adapted to the limitations of COVID-19

[32:07] How BCI equipment can aid those with mental or emotional distress

[33:09] Platforms that g.tec provides for researchers and students

[37:43] The future of BCI technology

[41:25] Invasive versus noninvasive BCIs

[43:17] How healthy people can use BCI technology in their daily lives

[45:27] Explaining BCI’s neuromarketing application

[47:49] Dr. Guger’s parting advice

Dr. Christoph Guger, a PhD in electrical engineering, serves as the CEO of a g.tec company located in Austria. This company is one of the major suppliers of brain-computer interface (BCI) equipment globally.

Learn more about the work Dr. Guger does by using the following link: https://www.gtec.at/

The Neurocareers podcast is brought to you by The Institute of Neuroapproaches and its founder - Milena Korostenskaja, Ph.D. (Dr. K) - a neuroscience educator, neuroscience research consultant, and career coach for students and recent graduates in neuroscience and neurotechnologies: https://www.neuroapproaches.org/

You will benefit from neuroscience-based coaching if you want to...

• Get your projects DONE instead of procrastinating and feeling stuck.
• Step out of burnout ONCE AND FOR ALL without overeating, overdrinking, or binge-watching.
• STOP feeling anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed when managing your time and responsibilities.
• OVERCOME FEAR of public speaking and improve your communication skills.
• Get rid of your chronic IMPOSTER SYNDROME and boost your SELF-CONFIDENCE instead.
• ACHIEVE your goals and BUILD a successful career instead of failing.

Get in touch with Dr. K. by sending an email: neuroapproaches@gmail.com

Schedule a free consultation session with Dr. K. by following this link: https://neuroapproaches.as.me/