People who have combined scientific ability with a background in business, law, computer science, or other technologies are clearly attractive. Know the major forces that drive and constrain the industry. That's very important. More concretely, experience in operating as part of a larger team of top-level PhD scientists is very valuable. Very concretely, get some practical exposure to industry research in your CV, even if that experience is short term.
Many companies offer such programs.
At our research and development site in Wilmington, Delaware, we have an arrangement that allows us to bring in people from local universities so that they can get a taste of the kind of research we are doing. Zeneca is in a prominent position in the industry, and many people are interested in new developments at your company. We've articulated a new research strategy and are accordingly reshaping our skill base. That includes retraining our current people. In an initiative aimed at uniting industry, academic science, and government, Germany has set out to remake its image as a center for innovative science.