The research worker in industry

Abstract

An essential feature of making a success of research in industry is to obtain, to stimulate, and to retain, the right research workers. I think that throughout the day we heard too little about the role of the individual research worker and how to encourage him to produce the best results. It would have been interesting if, say, half a dozen young research workers from industrial research organizations had been given the opportunity to be present and to put forward their points of view. Research is a creative occupation. Industrial research as presented throughout the day sounded as if it might be in danger of becoming unexciting and over formal. I have myself on another occasion argued the case for planning and controlling industrial research, but we have also to ensure that such planning and control does not stifle scientific initiative. The cost accountant must be a member of the industrial research team and not its director. Particularly for longer range research one can misquote Mr Micawber’s philosophy and say that 99% of research budget with no outcome is failure, but that 101% of budget and a scientific result is success.