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Is the public purse still open?
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hope t h a t you will b e a r with me whilst I r e t u r n to the topic of the poor correlation between academic research activity in powder metallurgy (PM) a n d the needs of t h e i n d u s t r y in t h e i n c r e m e n t a l i m p r o v e m e n t of t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l PM process. The E u r o p e a n i n d u s t r y is similar to t h a t in the US being p o p u l a t e d m a i n l y by s m a l l c o m p a n i e s , with limited financial resources. So, European academics have also to look to g o v e r n m e n t sources for the bulk of the f u n d i n g for PM research a n d d e v e l o p m e n t (R&D). There have been, a n d c o n t i n u e to be, n a t i o n a l g o v e r n m e n t s o u r c e s which provide full f u n d i n g for basic research work. However, there has been a c o n t i n u i n g t r e n d for more of the total pot of public f u n d i n g to be c h a n n e l l e d t h r o u g h schemes directed at collaborative i n d u s t r y / a c a deme projects of a more a p p l i e d nature. Also, more of the pot has b e e n c o m i n g from t h e E u r o p e a n C o m m i s s i o n (EC) r a t h e r t h a n national g o v e r n m e n t schemes. Even for some schemes, where the f u n d i n g comes from n a t i o n a l governments, p a n - E u r o p e a n collaboration a n d a n EC s t a m p of a p p r o v a l are prerequisites. Further, the n o r m in these collaborative projects is t h a t they involve c o n s o r t i a of i n d u s t r i a l p a r t n e r s r a t h e r t h a n being one-to-one indust r y / a c a d e m e collaborations. Public f u n d i n g for such projects is only partial, so having several industrial p a r t n e r s helps to spread the r e m a i n i n g financial burden. However, I t h i n k it is fair to claim t h a t this type of collaboration is more attractive to the PM i n d u s t r y t h a n some of the c o m p e t i t i v e m e t a l - f o r m i n g or c a s t i n g i n d u s t r i e s , b e c a u s e of its perceived p o t e n t i a l for growth of m a r k e t s at the e x p e n s e of these competitive technologies a n d a recognition of the value of collaboration within the i n d u s t r y in realizing this potential. On the face of it, PM had a pretty good deal in E u r o p e d u r i n g t h e 1980s in its share of public funds
46 MPR October 1993
for R&D, b o t h t h r o u g h n a t i o n a l g o v e r n m e n t initiatives and, p e r h a p s more significantly, t h r o u g h the Euro p e a n C o m m i s s i o n ' s COST 503 Programme, which ran t h r o u g h several r o u n d s t h r o u g h o u t the decade. However, again in parallel with North America, this was an era when a d v a n c e d m a t e r i a l s a n d processing and q u a n t u m leaps in p r o d u c t a p p l i c a t i o n s were the m a j o r e m p h a sis in p u b l i c - f u n d e d programmes. As long as you recognized this, your
"PM might have been rated as having had its chance and blown it." chances of securing f u n d i n g were a lot higher t h a n the c u r r e n t one-inten n o r m for North America. The upshot has been that, whilst m a n y of t h e s e c o l l a b o r a t i v e p r o j e c t s were succesful in achieving their technical objectives, there has been minimal i m p a c t in modified i n d u s t r i a l practice or new m a r k e t o p p o r t u nities. None of this is s u r p r i s i n g in view of the advanced focus of the programmes. The view of Ian White of Hoeganaes, quoted in J u n e ' s viewp o i n t column, a b o u t the long lead time for acceptance of new m a t e r i a l s in the m a r k e t place is one which has been proven m a n y times over b u t is still steadfastly ignored. In the 1990s, we find ourselves in a s i t u a t i o n in E u r o p e where, on the basis of this lack of commercial payoff of the s p o n s o r e d R&D efforts of the 1980s, I detect t h a t PM might have been rated as 'having had its chance a n d blown it'. In hindsight, I s u s p e c t t h a t s o m e of t h e PM c o m p a n i e s involved might also feel t h a t they have had a poor r e t u r n on their investment. So, directed PM initiatives, of the ilk of COST 503, have now d e p a r t e d the scene. It is still possible to tap into more general EC p r o g r a m m e s , such as BRITE-EURAM. However recent calls
for proposals have n o t m a d e direct reference to PM technology; it has been necessary to read the small p r i n t to d e t e r m i n e how a PM related project can fit some of the general objectives of the p r o g r a m m e . E x p e r i e n c e over the p a s t couple of years indicates t h a t it is b e c o m i n g increasingly difficult to secure funding from t h e s e p r o g r a m m e s . The over-subscription of p r o p o s e d project costs to available f u n d s has certainly been r u n n i n g at a figure in excess of ten-to-one. Having said all of this, there are some more positive signs appearing. It could be t h a t the p r e o c c u p a t i o n with a d v a n c e d materials a n d processes has h a d its day. A recent collaborative industry/academe research i n i t i a t i v e l a u n c h e d by the UK D e p a r t m e n t of Trade a n d Industry, has targeted the i n c r e m e n tal e n h a n c e m e n t of existing engin e e r i n g m a t e r i a l s a n d processes. Also, a UK G o v e r n m e n t White Paper on Science, E n g i n e e r i n g a n d Technology Policy has spelt out t h a t the focus of publicly f u n d e d work in t h e f u t u r e will be s h a r p e n e d on m e e t i n g the needs of i n d u s t r y a n d on e n h a n c i n g its c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s a n d c a p a c i t y for w e a l t h creation. A l t h o u g h scientific excellence a n d c u r i o s i t y r e s e a r c h will be m a i n t a i n e d , t h i s will be w i t h i n m o r e explicit guidelines on relevance a n d p o t e n t i a l for a p p r o p r i a t i o n by industry. It will clearly take some t i m e before the necessary changes in the i n f r a s t r u c t u r e are in place to allow reality to m a t c h rhetoric b u t at least t h i s p o l i c y s t a t e m e n t s h o u l d be welcomed as a positive move. PM projects will still have a hard battle to secure f u n d s a g a i n s t the competition, but, at least, there will now be a positive incentive for academe to focus its research activities on today's i n d u s t r i a l problems. []
D a v i d Whittaker D a v i d Whittaker is a c o n s u l t a n t s p e c i a l i z i n g i n p o w d e r metallurgy.
hope t h a t you will b e a r with me whilst I r e t u r n to the topic of the poor correlation between academic research activity in powder metallurgy (PM) a n d the needs of t h e i n d u s t r y in t h e i n c r e m e n t a l i m p r o v e m e n t of t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l PM process. The E u r o p e a n i n d u s t r y is similar to t h a t in the US being p o p u l a t e d m a i n l y by s m a l l c o m p a n i e s , with limited financial resources. So, European academics have also to look to g o v e r n m e n t sources for the bulk of the f u n d i n g for PM research a n d d e v e l o p m e n t (R&D). There have been, a n d c o n t i n u e to be, n a t i o n a l g o v e r n m e n t s o u r c e s which provide full f u n d i n g for basic research work. However, there has been a c o n t i n u i n g t r e n d for more of the total pot of public f u n d i n g to be c h a n n e l l e d t h r o u g h schemes directed at collaborative i n d u s t r y / a c a deme projects of a more a p p l i e d nature. Also, more of the pot has b e e n c o m i n g from t h e E u r o p e a n C o m m i s s i o n (EC) r a t h e r t h a n national g o v e r n m e n t schemes. Even for some schemes, where the f u n d i n g comes from n a t i o n a l governments, p a n - E u r o p e a n collaboration a n d a n EC s t a m p of a p p r o v a l are prerequisites. Further, the n o r m in these collaborative projects is t h a t they involve c o n s o r t i a of i n d u s t r i a l p a r t n e r s r a t h e r t h a n being one-to-one indust r y / a c a d e m e collaborations. Public f u n d i n g for such projects is only partial, so having several industrial p a r t n e r s helps to spread the r e m a i n i n g financial burden. However, I t h i n k it is fair to claim t h a t this type of collaboration is more attractive to the PM i n d u s t r y t h a n some of the c o m p e t i t i v e m e t a l - f o r m i n g or c a s t i n g i n d u s t r i e s , b e c a u s e of its perceived p o t e n t i a l for growth of m a r k e t s at the e x p e n s e of these competitive technologies a n d a recognition of the value of collaboration within the i n d u s t r y in realizing this potential. On the face of it, PM had a pretty good deal in E u r o p e d u r i n g t h e 1980s in its share of public funds
46 MPR October 1993
for R&D, b o t h t h r o u g h n a t i o n a l g o v e r n m e n t initiatives and, p e r h a p s more significantly, t h r o u g h the Euro p e a n C o m m i s s i o n ' s COST 503 Programme, which ran t h r o u g h several r o u n d s t h r o u g h o u t the decade. However, again in parallel with North America, this was an era when a d v a n c e d m a t e r i a l s a n d processing and q u a n t u m leaps in p r o d u c t a p p l i c a t i o n s were the m a j o r e m p h a sis in p u b l i c - f u n d e d programmes. As long as you recognized this, your
"PM might have been rated as having had its chance and blown it." chances of securing f u n d i n g were a lot higher t h a n the c u r r e n t one-inten n o r m for North America. The upshot has been that, whilst m a n y of t h e s e c o l l a b o r a t i v e p r o j e c t s were succesful in achieving their technical objectives, there has been minimal i m p a c t in modified i n d u s t r i a l practice or new m a r k e t o p p o r t u nities. None of this is s u r p r i s i n g in view of the advanced focus of the programmes. The view of Ian White of Hoeganaes, quoted in J u n e ' s viewp o i n t column, a b o u t the long lead time for acceptance of new m a t e r i a l s in the m a r k e t place is one which has been proven m a n y times over b u t is still steadfastly ignored. In the 1990s, we find ourselves in a s i t u a t i o n in E u r o p e where, on the basis of this lack of commercial payoff of the s p o n s o r e d R&D efforts of the 1980s, I detect t h a t PM might have been rated as 'having had its chance a n d blown it'. In hindsight, I s u s p e c t t h a t s o m e of t h e PM c o m p a n i e s involved might also feel t h a t they have had a poor r e t u r n on their investment. So, directed PM initiatives, of the ilk of COST 503, have now d e p a r t e d the scene. It is still possible to tap into more general EC p r o g r a m m e s , such as BRITE-EURAM. However recent calls
for proposals have n o t m a d e direct reference to PM technology; it has been necessary to read the small p r i n t to d e t e r m i n e how a PM related project can fit some of the general objectives of the p r o g r a m m e . E x p e r i e n c e over the p a s t couple of years indicates t h a t it is b e c o m i n g increasingly difficult to secure funding from t h e s e p r o g r a m m e s . The over-subscription of p r o p o s e d project costs to available f u n d s has certainly been r u n n i n g at a figure in excess of ten-to-one. Having said all of this, there are some more positive signs appearing. It could be t h a t the p r e o c c u p a t i o n with a d v a n c e d materials a n d processes has h a d its day. A recent collaborative industry/academe research i n i t i a t i v e l a u n c h e d by the UK D e p a r t m e n t of Trade a n d Industry, has targeted the i n c r e m e n tal e n h a n c e m e n t of existing engin e e r i n g m a t e r i a l s a n d processes. Also, a UK G o v e r n m e n t White Paper on Science, E n g i n e e r i n g a n d Technology Policy has spelt out t h a t the focus of publicly f u n d e d work in t h e f u t u r e will be s h a r p e n e d on m e e t i n g the needs of i n d u s t r y a n d on e n h a n c i n g its c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s a n d c a p a c i t y for w e a l t h creation. A l t h o u g h scientific excellence a n d c u r i o s i t y r e s e a r c h will be m a i n t a i n e d , t h i s will be w i t h i n m o r e explicit guidelines on relevance a n d p o t e n t i a l for a p p r o p r i a t i o n by industry. It will clearly take some t i m e before the necessary changes in the i n f r a s t r u c t u r e are in place to allow reality to m a t c h rhetoric b u t at least t h i s p o l i c y s t a t e m e n t s h o u l d be welcomed as a positive move. PM projects will still have a hard battle to secure f u n d s a g a i n s t the competition, but, at least, there will now be a positive incentive for academe to focus its research activities on today's i n d u s t r i a l problems. []
D a v i d Whittaker D a v i d Whittaker is a c o n s u l t a n t s p e c i a l i z i n g i n p o w d e r metallurgy.