Science For The People

Abstract

The Management of Science and Technology in the West Indies I believe that the creativity of scientists and technologists is an important force affecting the lives of people in all societies. To some people the scientist is a mad devil creating engines of war and environmental destruction. To others, he is a saint creating healing medicines and breeding high-yielding crops. Saints or devils, we ought to be interested in what our men of science are doing to and for our island societies, and to study the threats and opportunities facing them, for the deployment of their talent has important consequences for everyone. The Social and Economic Setting Our scientists and technologists operate in societies very different from those in which their metropolitan colleagues work, and most importantly different from the societies in which a large number of them received formal training. Our countries have evolved from sugar plantations to economies pinning hopes on development by inviting large multinational corporations to establish industries here.1'2 Local manufacturing enterprises have evolved from commissioned agencies by assembling what formerly was imported in a fully made-up form. Slowly but surely, control of major natural resources passed into the hands of multinational corporations and their agents together with control over loyalties of a significant segment of local technical talent-what might be called an internal Brain Drain. The largest number of scientists is probably to be found in the Civil Service or in quasi-governmental organisations such as statutory boards and the University of the West Indies. An important segment of technical talent may be found in the professions of medicine, engineering, architecture and surveying. However, the deployment of talent in all those sectors reflects the general dependence of the economy and the society even now, ten years after political independence. Interviews with Jamaican technicians and scientists working for the manufacturers in partnership with or under direct control from an overseas corporation reveal that their main function is to see that local processes and products conform to specifications set by Head Office. Quality control or public relations is emphasised at the expense of productive innovations. When, in spite of the emphasis, a native scientist persists in attempting innovations he is actively discouraged by Head Office, because: (a) An important profit is based on charges made for use of patented materials and processes supplied from the parent firm. (b) Preservation of the international brand image is all-important, even if the proposed innovation may introduce features of special benefit to the local community into the process or product being marketed. ©) Acceptance of locally-inspired innovations may lead to unwelcome demands for greater sharing of profits. Often, however, there is little opportunity for innovation when operations consist of assembling pre-designed and almost- finished components. Not surprisingly, creative employers in such firms quickly find themselves promoted to administration or sales to become executives rather than producers. An interesting example of resistance to local innovation was revealed in the response of the alumina industries to suggestions that they use local starch rather than wheat middlings to precipitate alumina. Various reasons were advanced to explain why this change was not feasible. Local starches would block filters, carry-over too far downstream in the process and impair the efficiency of extraction. One cannot judge the validity of these objections without access to data on actual trials with comparisons made between wheat middlings and local starches. Surely, however, the fact that the process was patented in North America and that there may be strategic advantages to the companies in using a North American raw material also affect the choice of a starch for the process. …