Anna Bezdundaya: "Science Grants Business the Right to Long-Term Viability"

In an interview with FBA EAC, Anna Bezdundaya, General Director of the Association and Editor-in-Chief of the FBA EAC Herald, explains why collaboration between entrepreneurs and scientists has become a highly profitable investment, what barriers hinder their dialogue, and how editorial policy is structured to ensure the journal remains deeply relevant to professionals.

FBA EAC is a unique platform where entrepreneurs, financiers, and scientists converge. In your view, why is this format at the intersection of business and science in such high demand?

I would highlight three reasons why the collaboration between business and science is an absolute necessity today:

1. Business has become a primary generator of research requests for science. This represents a symbiosis of mutually beneficial cooperation.
2. The elimination of unnecessary intermediaries. Previously, consultants and analysts stood between scientists and entrepreneurs. Today, artificial intelligence can perform basic analysis in seconds, but it cannot generate a new, fundamental hypothesis. It is precisely the live dialogue fostered on the FBA EAC platform that creates the innovative approach to business-science interaction that no neural network can replace.
3. Capital seeks the "green light." In an era of high interest rates and macroeconomic uncertainty, investors are unwilling to take risks without scientific justification for their investments. A scientific approach provides them with the means to minimize risks, which is far more cost-effective than insuring billion-dollar projects without proper expertise.

In short, science grants business the right to long-term viability.

The Association operates a Committee on Science and Education, and the FBA EAC Herald is indexed in the RSCI (Russian Science Citation Index). How in-demand is the dialogue between business and science today, and what prevents them from truly hearing each other?

Today, in our view, the dialogue between business and science has transitioned into a concrete, practical realm focused on specific solutions for generating profit. This shifts the motivation of scientists, while business has realized that without engaging with science, it loses its competitiveness. This mutual dependence ensures the systemic viability of both sides.

However, there are barriers to this dialogue, and the process is not entirely seamless:

1. Differing Time Horizons: Business operates in quarters and years, typically seeking a return on investment within 2–3 years. Science, particularly fundamental research, operates on a different scale, with scientists often requiring up to 5 years for development.
2. Confidentiality and Bureaucratic Barriers: Businesses are often unable to openly share proprietary information, and without such transparency, joint research becomes unfeasible.

Successful dialogue most often occurs in environments where former scientists transition into business, or where entrepreneurs hold academic degrees.

The expert journal FBA EAC Herald maintains a strong scientific standing amidst today’s information noise. In your view, what distinguishes a high-quality business journal from a mere publication, and what role does the editorial stance play in this?

In my view, a high-quality business journal is not merely a collection of texts, but a living organism with its own distinct worldview. A mere publication simply fills space and time; a good one shapes a worldview and provides diverse perspectives on critical issues. The cornerstone of this process is the editorial stance.

An editorial stance defines a clear target audience and a core mission. A good business journal knows from the outset who its readers are: entrepreneurs, managers, financiers, or specialists in specific industries. Its task is not merely to inform, but to provide the insights necessary to make well-reasoned decisions, build strategies, and adjust tactics. A high-quality business publication has a clear concept: it determines which topics to explore in depth, what tone to maintain, and which genres to utilize (e.g., analytical articles, expert interviews, market reviews).

We can identify six key distinctions between a high-quality business journal and a standard publication:

1. Depth of Material: A standard publication writes a little about everything, superficially summarizing content. A good business journal eliminates the superfluous. Here, the editorial stance acts as a filter, answering the question, "Why does this material matter?" While an ordinary publication might offer a compilation of news or superficial notes, a good business journal emphasizes analysis: it dissects the causes of events, demonstrates interconnections, provides data, and presents the opinions of various specialists rather than a single viewpoint. The reader receives not just a fact, but a tool for understanding the context and potential consequences.
2. Tone and Voice: A high-quality business journal possesses a distinct intonation (be it ironic, rigorous, or inspiring). This tone is dictated from the top down: the editorial stance determines how to address the reader—as a friend, a mentor, or an intellectual counterpart. This creates brand recognizability far stronger than a mere logo.
3. Respect for the Audience: A good business journal leads its audience forward by tackling complex topics. It requires the courage to avoid banality, even when simplistic content sells better.
4. Systematic Approach: A high-quality business journal establishes a logical framework: materials are coherently linked, a clear rubric system helps readers quickly find what they need, and issue themes complement one another rather than existing in isolation.
5. Form and Execution: Unity is paramount here; content and form must work in tandem. Excellent design, layout, high-quality illustrations, and meticulous proofreading and editing do not merely decorate an issue—they help the reader comfortably absorb complex information. The form must neither distract from the substance nor be overly dull; it must underscore the seriousness of the approach.
6. Relevance to the Audience: The topics and the depth of their elaboration must precisely align with the demands of the target demographic. If a publication attempts to write for everyone rather than a specific professional niche, it risks losing its practical utility.

In conclusion, the editorial stance is the skeleton of the journal. Without it, a publication scatters into a heap of random articles. With it, the journal becomes an event with which the reader builds a long-term, personal relationship. A simple publication reflects the tastes of the crowd; a good one cultivates them. Any publication is the product of editorial and publishing refinement. However, a good business journal represents a conscious choice of topics, depth of analysis, a commitment to objectivity, and the ability to present information in a way that genuinely aids professionals in their work and business endeavors.