The importance of research and development

The importance of R D in the chemical industry will already have become apparent in the preceding sections, but it is worth while re-emphasizing and expanding on some of the points already made in this section. In addition other general points relating to the need for R D will be made. Indeed let us start with the latter. 

An example of the failure to recognize the need for change and the (almost) disastrous consequences is afforded by the watch-making industry. The Swiss had almost reached perfection in the manufacture of mechanical and automatic watches and not surprisingly dominated the industry. They ignored the development of the electronic watch in Japan and almost paid the ultimate price, but fortunately realized the error of their ways and adapted in the nick of time. Examples from the chemical industry include the changing routes to vinyl chloride monomer (section 3.5.1) and phenol manufacture. 

In contrast technology push is where a product has been made or 

Another example is polytetrafluorethylene or Teflon . For some time after it was first made uses for its remarkable properties, e.g. non-stick, electrical insulation, chemical inertness could not be developed and exploited because the material could not be processed using the processes then available. The problem was solved by applying newly developed powder metallurgy techniques. 

Finally the importance of research and development as an activity within the chemical industry is confirmed by the enormous financial resources which are devoted to it. As indicated in section 3.2.3 the industry as a whole devotes approximately 7% of sales INCOME to R D, with this doubling for the most research intensive sector, pharmaceuticals. For comparison the figure for the engineering sector in the U.K. would be around 1%, and all manufacturing 2%. 

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In this chapter I return to the topic of my doctoral dissertation, completed in 1963 under the same title. My purpose then as now was to explore the importance of research and development (R D) for new products in the pharmaceutical industry. Such products embody new medical advances and have a major impact on mortality and morbidity rates. 

The reasons for, and the importance of, research and development activities were discussed, particularly in section 3.3. This followed consideration of the various types of research and development in section 3.2.2. Differences between academic and industrial research were considered in section 3.4. University research is often basic or fundamental and may be carried out for its own intrinsic interest to add to the total knowledge base or pool. The results are usually freely available following publication in scientific journals. It is also often confined to a fairly narrow area of chemistry. 

Note that because fixed costs are proportionally more important for small-scale operations the influence of research and development work on reducing the imit process costs on smaller scale processes will often be significantly difierent than when applied to larger scale operations. Also equipment will not necessarily be used imder conditions which maximise its performance, but rather under conditions that minimise cost, thus for instance a fermenter will not be operated at maximum agitation rates as the power required will be too expensive. Other savings can be made by finding uses for wastes, such as the spent biomass from fermentations, and also for any out-of-specification product that is made. 

This book deals with a subject that is both fascinating and vitally important for the pharmaceutical industry—the procedures of transferring the results of research and development (R D) obtained on laboratory scale to the pilot plant and finally to production scale. 

The continued importance of research and development with air-sensitive compounds, coupled with the general lack of publications or undergraduate instruction on the techniques used in this area, prompted us to revise this monograph. The level of presentation is designed to make the book useful to the chemist who is beginning work in the field. In addition, considerable technical data and information are given that should aid chemists at all levels of proficiency in the design of experiments. 

Innovation, the process by which fundamental research becomes a commercial product, is increasingly important in the chemical sciences and is changing the nature of research and development (R D) efforts in the United States. The workshop Reducing the Time from Basic Research to Innovation in the Chemical Sciences was held in response to pressures to speed the R D process and to rapidly evolving patterns of interaction among industry, academe, and national laboratories. The aim of the workshop was to identify and discuss approaches that might speed the innovation process by which basic research leads to innovation. 

Each of the laboratories contributed to the research and development of analytical methods, to cross-checking methods developed in participating laboratories, and to publication of the information which was derived. Among the areas of research and development to which the Project addressed itself were sample preparation techniques, measurement techniques, and possibly most important of all, sources of error. 

To address the potential overlap of TSCA and FIFRA in the development of pesticides, EPA takes the position that a chemical substance that is in the process of research and development as a pesticide is subject to TSCA and potential 8(e) reporting until the manufacturer or importer demonstrates the intent to produce the pesticide by submitting an application for an experimental... 

Thank you also to Hermann Requardt. The CEO of Siemens Healthcare gave us an excellent view onto those fields of medical and healthcare systems, where Siemens is already now successful or expects to make profit in future - and I mean this in a very positive sense, because without profit the machine of research and development would not run at all. He pointed out how important it is to always keep the complete chain of healthcare in your mind so that you do not solve local problems that become obsolete already in near future. 

The most important activities during the phase of platming and execution are shown in Figures 1.6 and 1.7. The project development phase comprising the period from the idea for the project to the invitation to tender usually requires one to three years. Owing to difficulties in the field of research and development or problems arising from political arguments, to mention only two possible reasons, the phase of project development may, in individual cases, span up to ten years. 

For purposes of general co-ordination of research and development as well as for standardization and interchangeability the USCWC and ISCCW found it desirable to exchange military characteristics and requirements for new items and revisions of existing items. The two committees also deemed it important to exchange information on the lines of research and development that would be followed."... 

The amount of research and developmentin CVD is considerable in the U. S. and abroad, not only in industry but al so in universities and in many of the maj or government laboratories. Government sponsorship in most countries remains an important factor either in terms of funding or as a research leader. Organizations such as the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), andNASAintheU.S., MITI and MRIM in Japan, CNRS in Franee, and others el sewhere, pi ay leading roles in the development of CVD. 

In Section 9.1 it was noted that this cement was the only important zinc oxide cement other than the ZOE cement. Its invention and development is largely associated with Brauer who, with coworkers, has been carrying out a programme of research and development from the late 1950s to the present day. 

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