The most significant single item in national trends of science in industry during the year 1942 was the establishment of the Office of Technical Development. This office was established after months of survey and study and may have a profound effect on the private enterprise system of industrial research. Its development will be closely observed by those concerned with science organization in industry.
The Office of Technical Development will complement and supplement the Office of Scientific Research and Development with the essential difference that the new office will be directly concerned with the 'pilot plant' or commercial development stage of those processes and products of industry directly connected with the war effort. The Office of Scientific Research and Development on the other hand, previously established under Executive Order of the President, is concerned with research and development of the 'instrumentalities of war.'
Office of Technical Development.
Doctor Harvey N. Davis, Director of the Office of Technical Development, has supplied a copy of the Executive Order outlining the functions and directives under which that office will operate. It is summarized as follows:
(Disestablishment of Former Agency: The temporary agency informally known as the Office of Technical Development within the War Production Board is hereby abolished, and its records and reports are hereby transferred to the Office of Production Research and Development.)
'The objective of the Office of Production Research and Development shall be: to plan, direct, and coordinate the scientific and engineering evaluation, research, and development work within the War Production Board, in order to ensure rapid appraisal and maximum effective utilization of mechanisms, materials, processes, and inventions, in war production; to this end, to utilize so far as possible existing research personnel and facilities.'
'The Director shall initiate and follow up technical evaluation, research, and development work on such mechanisms, materials, processes, and inventions, as will, in his judgment, advance the production program of the War Production Board.'
'The Director shall maintain close contact with the Industry Divisions and Branches, in order to assist them in the solution of problems requiring scientific or engineering evaluation, research, and development, advise them of progress and results on projects undertaken by the Director, and receive from them full information on current evaluation, research, and development projects with which they are in contact.'
'The Director shall analyze and arrange for the development of meritorious inventions and proposals received from the National Inventors Council, other agencies, and individuals.'
Nutrition Foundation.
One of the significant developments of the year is the rise of industry-sponsored research foundations, of which the Nutrition Foundation is a good illustration:
'The main objective of the Nutrition Foundation is to achieve improvement in public health by making possible broad investigations into the chemical, biological and physiological properties of materials used for the nation's food supply. The results of these investigations should increase the energy and efficiency of the average consumer.'
'Such a program not only investigates new and unknown methods of more effective nutrition but also is concerned with protection of food values now known, particularly new forms made necessary by the war. It is also the aim of the Nutrition Foundation, through early publication and wide dissemination, to bring current discoveries in nutrition to the attention of those agencies which can put such information into immediate use.'
'The pioneer organization represents an unusual opportunity for the food industry to recognize and acknowledge a definite social responsibility. More and more industry will be judged by what it contributes to human society. Heretofore, research in educational institutions has been supported largely either by endowment, or by public funds. In the future such funds may well be expected to decrease in amount. This means that industry must assume a substantial part of the financial burden and attain a closer alliance with the educational world if it desires that nutritional research be continued.'
'Through the Nutrition Foundation the food industry is giving full recognition of its social obligations and is insuring progress along nutrition lines.'
Effect of War Effort on Industrial Research Laboratories.
The impact of the war effort on industrial research laboratories during 1942 has been primarily characterized by laboratory assistance to the engineering departments in problems connected with conversion to war products. Conversion problems center largely in the improvement of processes, introduction of new manufacturing techniques, speeding up production, and particularly substitution of industrial materials.
The facilities and staff of research laboratories serve as technical advisers to engineering, product design, and production. In those industries in which their product is closely related to the war effort, or in the case of most automobile plants wholly converted to the manufacture of war equipment, there has been comparatively little loss or transfer of essential industrial research workers. In other industrial plants, however, not directly connected with war production there has been considerable loss of research personnel to the armed services and to those industries directly connected with war effort. Such industries as airplane, armament, chemical, light metals, and textiles have been drawn upon heavily for research workers in non-essential industries.
Part of this movement of research workers from industry to industry is initiated by the workers themselves under the urge of patriotic motives and the wish to be more closely connected with the war effort.
National Research Council Surveys.
In the field of broad trends of science in industry, the major emphasis in research programs brings out the following comparisons which are significant in the national scene. National Research Council's surveys of industrial research, made by its Division of Engineering and Industrial indicated clearly at the top of the 1929 boom that the major emphasis in the research programs, was on cutting production costs. This and later surveys covered a representative majority of 1600 laboratories of all sizes and in all fields of industry. A similar survey made by the Council at the bottom of the depression — 1932-1933 put the primary emphasis in substantially the same companies on the development of new fields of application.
In 1942 although no formal survey has been made by the National Research Council, a recent check with members of the Industrial Research Institute numbering over fifty in all fields of industry, clearly indicates that the major emphasis is on the substitution of materials. This major trend is borne out by direct observation in laboratories of member companies and others. Research executives' statements are in almost unanimous agreement that alternate materials and new applications of old materials will probably continue in the post-war period. The alternate or substitute materials in most cases are cheaper, and serve their purpose better than those previously used.
Synthetics.
Synthetics continue to take the place of natural products in ever-increasing volume of production and in surprisingly new fields of application. Recently, the research laboratories of a large flour milling company developed the base for a synthetic cinnamon. Cooperating with a large established company in the flavoring business, this synthetic cinnamon has already attained considerable commercial success. Other synthetic spices are under consideration combining the research facilities of two companies mentioned above and utilizing the distribution channels of one of the oldest spice millers in the country. Ginger and allspice may be the next natural products to feel the impact of synthetic flavors created in a test tube. Vanilla flavor derived from waste liquors of a large pulp and paper manufacturing company has previously had considerable commercial success. At the other end of the synthetic material scale that much publicized synthetic rubber industry may assume such proportions that natural rubber from Malaya may be only a memory.
Research Personnel.
A considerable number of new research laboratories are in the process of construction. Many others are in the planning stage and receiving close executive consideration in fields of industry which have almost wholly neglected organized industrial research in the past. It would not be surprising if the present listing of 2,264 industrial research laboratories in National Research Council's Bulletin of 1940 would be increased to 2,700 by 1945-46.
When it became apparent that industrial research laboratories were in danger of having their more experienced research men — particularly the younger ones within the draft age limits — either taken by the armed forces or transferred to laboratories or plants more directly connected with the war effort, there was a considerable upsurge of interest on the part of industrial companies in long range university research. Research policy which prompted this solution was based on the fact that fundamental and long term research projects could be continued at university research centers and additional research personnel could be trained for 'delivery,' say, in the spring of 1944-45.
As an indication of meeting this trend in the increase of university research sponsored by industry, the College of Engineering of New York University established the Office of Research Coordinator, and initiated a unique industry-sponsored program. These expanded industrial research activities at the College of Engineering may later assume the proportions of a separate department of Engineering and Industrial Research. There is one major factor which may tend to restrict the expansion of university industrial research. Recent legislation on the 18-19 year-old draftees, will make it impractical if not impossible for many universities to continue their contracts either for large volume industrial research work, or for 'delivery' of any considerable number of trained personnel. It now appears that technical colleges and universities may be almost wholly taken over by the armed forces as training centers in science, engineering, and technology.
One ingenious solution suggested for university research has been contributed by Doctor E. A. White, Engineering Research Department, University of Michigan, established nearly thirty years ago. Doctor White feels that as the teaching load on the faculty is reduced, faculty members and older graduate students will have more time to devote to fundamental research problems sponsored by industry.
It is to be hoped that the experience of World War I in stripping our university centers of potential industrial research workers will be taken advantage of, and that some system of deferment may be found, particularly for the younger, brilliant science and research workers in order that we may not suffer a lag in industrial research and product development after World War II.
National interest requires that an enlightened policy will be developed in the use of scientific and technical manpower through the efforts of the War Manpower Commission with the advice and assistance of the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Technical Development.
Postwar Period.
There is little or no opportunity to comment on the more significant and specific industrial research achievements during this war period, because of strict scientific censorship. There is agreement amongst research leaders and science writers on those industries in which technological advances will be prominent in the early postwar years. Those industries which from the point of view of pent-up purchasing power, mass needs of buyers, and striking technological advances which will induce the public to trade war bonds for something which they want more, include: housing, automobile, radio, domestic air conditioning, and aircraft. Other industries whose products do not directly touch the buying public but will have an increasingly important place in the postwar industrial structure, are synthetic rubber, light metal alloys, aluminum, and magnesium. The latter may attain the stature of an epochal age rather than new and expanded industries. In the more strictly scientific field of electronics, this subject may attain the proportion of a new industry, one which has already launched a magazine devoted to its own interests and the expanding scope of electronic applications, under the title of 'Electronics Industries.'
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