Industrial Research

Co-operative Research.

But the department has done more than this. In Germany and America many of the great industrial firms have their own research laboratories ; reference has already been made to some of the results on German industry. But re search laboratories are costly ; in many industries in England the firms concerned are small, a private research laboratory is too ex pensive to be contemplated, besides a number would produce wasteful overlapping. Hence the attempt was made to introduce a system of co-operative research. In an effort to lead manufac turers to rely more on scientific results, research associations have been set up. Each of these consists of a body of men engaged in the same industry who associate themselves for the purposes of research bearing on their industry. Each association has its own director of research, or similar official, under whose guidance the work planned by its council is carried on either in their private laboratory or by arrangement at the National Physical Laboratory or in the laboratories of some university or technical college.

The work is financed in part by the associated firms, in part from the million fund, usually on a pound to pound basis guaran teed under certain conditions for five years and with a limit of £5,000 a year to its amount. In 1927 there were 24 such associa tions in existence; the balance in the million fund is now £352,292; a substantial part of this is required to complete the payments already promised. In a number of cases the first five years for which the grant was made have elapsed and the department, with a view to determining its future course, has arranged for a report from some independent body on the work and progress in each case. In a recent report to the committee of the Privy Council responsible for the work of the department, the advisory council writes of the associations: "We have no doubt that they have already produced results of financial value far greater than their whole expenditure and have been instrumental in introducing scientific methods and encour aging scientific spirit in industry." It is clear from the general tenor of these reports that 5 years is insufficiently long even under the most favourable conditions to set a research association on its feet and make it independent of government assistance. To devise a programme, collect an effi cient staff and obtain results all take time. Besides, there is much educational work to be done ; half-hearted supporters need to be converted by results before they will contribute freely ; trade rivalries tend to prevent complete co-operation ; trade has been bad and returns barely sufficient to keep old ventures going; there has been little to spare towards an expenditure of whose value the manufacturer is only half convinced. And so the department has

considered the steps to be taken to maintain the work for some years to come and, in the case of some important associa tions, has settled the terms of future grants (see report of the De partment for 1925-6).

Training of Workers.

But there are other ways in which offi cial support is being given to industrial research, and among these the schemes for training research workers is most important. Under this scheme young graduates are assisted to carry out re searches under the guidance of some competent professor, while, in a number of cases, funds have been granted to prominent work ers to enable them to pursue inquiries of importance.

The royal commission for the exhibition of 1851 administers for the advancement of education and research funds arising from the balance left when the exhibition closed. For many years past its scholarships and studentships have been of great value. The com mission has inaugurated a number of Industrial bursaries given on the recommendations of the universities and technical schools to men trained in science who were prepared to enter, as apprentices or students, engineering or other works. In this way, a stream of trained workers in science is provided for industry.

Private Research Laboratories.

Before concluding, refer ence should be made again to the research laboratories of promi nent firms, in England, the laboratory of the General Electric Co. at Wembley occupies a leading place; but it is to Germany and America that we turn for striking examples of what a works re search laboratory can do (see below). (R. T. GL.) The history of American technology reveals plainly that within the past five or six decades, and mostly within the last 4o years, manufacturing practice has progressed vastly more than in any previous era. In all the important branches of industry empiri cism has been supplanted by industrial research. It was estimated in 1939 that there were at least 30.00o scientists and engineers engaged in research on behalf of the industries of the United States. Assuming this figure to be approximately correct, as it undoubtedly is, over $18o,000,000, probably $200,000,000, is be ing expended annually in supporting industrial research. About half of this amount is spent on chemical laboratory investigations, most of which are conducted by companies in their own plant laboratories.