Book excerpt: This book provides a guide to innovation and entrepreneurship within academic surgery and details how these approaches can develop new technologies and programs that advance healthcare. The pathways, barriers, and opportunities for commercialization and entrepreneurship are identified and discussed in relation to licenses, start-ups, and obtaining funding. The book aims to help create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across academic medical centres around the world, with the belief that this can improve patient care. This book is relevant to surgeons of all disciplines, as well as medical students and researchers.