OPENING REMARKS - gpcaresearch.com · • will durant writes that the muslim scholars "introduced precise observation, controlled experiment, and careful records." dubai march, 17

OPENING REMARKS

Dr. Moayyed AlqurtasChairmanResearch & Innovation CommitteeGPCA

1Dubai March, 17 2015

• TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS ARE COSTLY AND UNCERTAIN, HOWEVER THEY MAY HAVE PROFOUND IMPACTS ON OUR BUSINESSES

• CAN WE BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT OR CONTINUE AS TECHNOLOGY IMPORTERS

• DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND OUR BUSINESSES IS CRITICAL FOR OUR FUTURE SUCCESS OR EVEN SURVIVAL

• INNOVATION IS A CULTURE AND NOT LIMITED TO ANY SIZE OF AN ORGANIZATION. IT NEEDS TO BE NURTURED AND ENCOURAGED


Why the R & I Summit?

AGENDA

• INDUSTRIAL AGE AND THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON WORLD ECONOMY

• TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND THE ROLE OF INVESTMENTS

• ROLE OF R&D

• INNOVATION AS A CULTURE

• IS R&D AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEABLE ?


INDUSTRIAL AGE AND THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON WORLD ECONOMY

SCIENCE HAD A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY, THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH



• NEITHER ROGER BACON NOR LATER NAMESAKE HAS ANY TITLE TO BE CREDITED WITH HAVING INTRODUCED THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD. ROGER BACON WAS NO MORE THAN ONE OF APOSTLES OF MUSLIM SCIENCE AND METHOD TO CHRISTIAN EUROPE; AND HE NEVER WEARIED OF DECLARING THAT KNOWLEDGE OF ARABIC AND ARABIC SCIENCES WAS FOR HIS CONTEMPORARIES THE ONLY WAY TO TRUE KNOWLEDGE.

ROBERT BRIFFAULT IN THE "MAKING OF HUMANITY"


ISLAMIC SCIENCE CONTRIBUTION AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD


• THE WEIGHT OF VENERABLE AUTHORITY, FOR EXAMPLE THAT OF PTOLEMY, SELDOM INTIMIDATED THEM. THEY WERE ALWAYS EAGER TO PUT A THEORY TO TESTS, AND THEY NEVER TIRED OF EXPERIMENTATION. THOUGH MOTIVATED AND PERMEATED BY THE SPIRIT OF THEIR RELIGION, THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW DOGMA … TO STAND IN THE WAY OF THEIR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.“

GEORGE SARTON IN THE "INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE"

• WILL DURANT WRITES THAT THE MUSLIM SCHOLARS "INTRODUCEDPRECISE OBSERVATION, CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT, AND CAREFUL RECORDS."




• CHEMISTRY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SCIENCES EXPLORED BY HUMANITY

• MANY CHEMICAL PRODUCTS WERE RECOGNIZED AND MANUFACTURED THRU THE AGES

• THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION RESULTED IN THE START OF LARGE SCALE CHEMICALS MANUFACTURING

• PIONEERED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH FACILITIES SINCE THE LATER PART OF THE 19th CENTURY

• ACCORDINGLY HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE 1ST SCIENCE BASED INDUSTRY



• CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IS INNOVATIVE AND SHIFTED ITS FEED STOCKS DEPENDING ON EMERGING AVAILABILITY

• AMONG THE MOST INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIES IN THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW PRODUCTS AND APPLICATIONS

• ACCORDINGLY, RESEARCH & INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT ARE CRITICAL FOR THE INDUSTRY’S SURVIVAL AND GROWTH

• R&D AND TECHNOLOGIES ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT MAY REPRESENT A SIZABLE PORTION OF THE INDUSTRY’S COSTS AND THEIR OPTIMUM MANAGEMENT IS CRITICAL FOR THE INDUSTRY


AGENDA



• ROLE OF R&D




TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND THE ROLE OF INVESTMENTS

WHY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TIME CERTAINTY AND COSTS


Time

IMPACT OF INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY BASED INDUSTRIES ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

• INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY BASED FACILITIES FORCE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

• INITIALLY IT IS ADVISABLE TO LIMIT INVESTMENTS TO VIABLE COMMERCIALLY PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES

• TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CAN BE THRU ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE TASKS NEEDED TO BUILD AND OPERATE CHEMICAL PLANTS AND DEVELOP THEIR PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGIES WHICH INCLUDE:– PLANT DESIGN– EQUIPMENT SUPPLY– OPERATIONS– MAINTENANCE– PROCESS ENGINEERING AND SUPPORTING ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES– PRODUCTS TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT– ESTABLISHMENT OF R&D CAPABILITIES


IMPACT OF INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY BASED INDUSTRIES ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

• EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS HIGHLY CRITICAL FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SUCCESS

• THE NEED FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES INCLUDING R&D CAN BE CRITICAL FOR UNDERSTANDING ACQUIRED TECHNOLOGIES, IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL OF THEIR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

• MAJOR BREAK THROUGHS ARE RARE AND EXPENSIVE AND MAY TAKE LONG TIME (COULD BE DECADES RATHER THAN YEARS)

• NON PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES ARE KEY TO TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS, HOWEVER DON’T TOUCH UNLESS DIFFICULTIES CAN BE ACCEPTED

• BUILDING PROCESS ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES SUPPORTED BY OTHER ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES IS CRITICAL FOR EXPLOITING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF ACQUIRED FACILITIES AND ACHIEVING “CAPACITY CREEP”


AGENDA



• ROLE OF R&D




ROLE OF R&D

• FOR INDUSTRIAL COMPANY R&D AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS ARE DONE FOR SURVIVAL, GROWTH & PROFITS

• IN ORDER TO MANAGE THIS ACTIVITY A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS NEEDED.

• WELL STRUCTURED R&D EFFORT CAN BE QUITE SUBSTANTIAL AND RANGE OVER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMPLEXITY

• ITS COST CAN BE SIZABLE AND INCREASE WITH THE LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION OF THE INDUSTRY, HIGHEST LEVELS ARE SEEN WITH PERFORMANCE CHEMICALS AND PHARMACEUTICALS IN SPECIFIC, WHILE LOWEST LEVELS ARE SEEN IN COMMODITY CHEMICALS


ROLE OF R&D …

• R & D CAN BE DIVIDED INTO MANY CATEGORIES STARTING WITH THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND FUNDAMENTAL BASIC RESEARCH UP TO INCREMENTAL AND IMPROVEMENT DEVELOPMENT

• EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES HAVE ITS OWN MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDING COST, CERTAINTY AND TIME HORIZON.

• COMPANIES WITHOUT CRITICAL MASS (SIZABLE PRODUCTION IN SPECIFIC PRODUCTS CATEGORY) WILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO LAUNCH MEANINGFUL R&D EFFORTS

• TECHNOLOGIES WHICH BECAME WITHIN THE DOMAIN OF ENGINEERING CONTRACTORS DO NOT REPRESENT USUALLY ATTRACTIVE R&D OPPORTUNITIES


ROLE OF R&D …

• PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS (I.E. PLASTICS) REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT AREAFOR ADVANCED PRODUCTS APPLICATIONS AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• R&D EFFORTS OTHER THAN INCREMENTAL RESEARCH TO SUPPORT EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES ARE NOT TO LAUNCHED BY COMPANIES OF LIMITED CAPABILITIES

• AN IMPORTANT ROLE OF ADVANCED R&D CAPABILITIES IS TO UNDERSTAND,EXPLOIT THE FULL POTENTIAL AND FURTHER DEVELOP LICENSED TECHNOLOGIES

• "IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO REDUCE THIS FAILURE RATE BY BETTER MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATION OR PROJECT SELECTION AND CONTROL TECHNIQUES, EXCEPT FOR THE ADAPTIVE AND IMITATIVE TYPE OF PROJECT"


AGENDA



• ROLE OF R&D




INNOVATION AS A CULTURE

• INNOVATION IS A VERY GENERAL CONCEPT AS IT COMPRISES IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALL ASPECTS OF OUR BUSINESS (TECHNICAL & NON-TECHNIAL),

• INNOVATION IS MORE OF A CULTURE THAN A SPECIFIC TASK AND IT IS NOT CONFINED TO A SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT OR EXECUTIVE

• INNOVATIONS CAN HAVE MANY SOURCES RANGING FROM THE PLANT FLOOR, MAINTENANCE, INPUTS FROM CLIENTS AS WELL AS R&D DISCOVERIES

• INNOVATION CAN HAVE AN IMPORTANT IMPACT ON BUSINESS PROFITABILITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS

• MANAGEMENTS ARE CHALLENGED TO NURTURE AND ENCOURAGE INNOVATION



• THE WEIGHT OF VENERABLE AUTHORITY, FOR EXAMPLE THAT OF PTOLEMY, SELDOM INTIMIDATED THEM. THEY WERE ALWAYS EAGER TO PUT A THEORY TO TESTS, AND THEY NEVER TIRED OF EXPERIMENTATION. THOUGH MOTIVATED AND PERMEATED BY THE SPIRIT OF THEIR RELIGION, THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW DOGMA … TO STAND IN THE WAY OF THEIR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.“

GEORGE SARTON IN THE "INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE"

• WILL DURANT WRITES THAT THE MUSLIM SCHOLARS "INTRODUCED PRECISE OBSERVATION, CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT, AND CAREFUL RECORDS."



AGENDA



• ROLE OF R&D




IS R&D AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEABLE ?

• HOW TO ESTABLISH TECHNOLOGICAL DIRECTION AND BALANCE SHORT‐TERM INCREMENTAL R&D EFFORT WITH THE LONG‐TERM MORE RADICAL EFFORT?

• HOW TO INTEGRATE THE MANAGEMENT OF R&D WITH THE REST OF THE CORPORATE FUNCTIONS, MAINLY PRODUCTION AND MARKETING?

• HOW TO MEASURE RETURNS FROM THE R&D EFFORT AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS?

• HOW MUCH A COMPANY NEEDS TO SPEND ON R&D? HOW TO ALLOCATE ITS RESOURCES? AND HOW TO ACCOMMODATE THE IMPACT OF BUSINESS CYCLES ON THE LONG TERMS STEADY FUNDING REQUIREMENTS OF THE R&D EFFORT?

• HOW TO MANAGE AND MOTIVATE RESEARCHERS AND WHAT FREEDOM RESEARCHERS WILL HAVE IN DECIDING ON THEIR RESEARCH EFFORTS AND HOW RIGID THE RESEARCH PLANNING WILL BE ?


IS R&D AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEABLE ?

• HOW TO PROTECT THE TECHNOLOGICAL ASSETS, AND WHETHER PATENTING IS ADVISABLE ?

• HOW TO EXPLOIT THE TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS AND WHETHER TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE LICENSED OR EXPLOITED INTERNALLY ?

• HOW TO ASSESS THE HIGH DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS, MARKET REACTION TO NEW PRODUCTS, THEIR GROWTH PATTERNS, COMPETITORS RESPONSES THROUGH EITHER IMITATING NEW PRODUCTS, IMPROVING EXISTING PRODUCTS OR DEVELOPING NEW ONES ?

• WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS INCLUDING THE GOVERNMENTAL ANTI‐MONOPOLISTIC POLICIES, PATENTING LAWS AND POLICIES, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS, ETC. ... ON THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY ?


THANK YOU


Documents

OPENING REMARKS - gpcaresearch.com · • will durant writes that the muslim scholars "introduced precise observation, controlled experiment, and careful records." dubai march, 17