“Teamed Science” – the Future, and is 1+1=3?

Volker Hessel

doi:10.1515/gps-2013-0081

Article Publicly Available

“Teamed Science” – the Future, and is 1+1=3?

Volker Hessel

Published/Copyright: October 9, 2013

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From the journal Green Processing and Synthesis Volume 2 Issue 5

I recently attended the World Congress of Chemical Engineering in Seoul, Korea. Travels, especially such long ones, always mark a transition. One leaves a time behind, and a new, hopefully more interesting time is just round the corner. Travelling days are intense with impressions, rich in events, and dynamic in actions – time seems to speed by and these days make their own small life chapter. We are no longer in a familar environment and things which previously guided us do not exist anymore. This is a chance to change, to develop and to do things differently.

The topics of the plenary lectures had three directions – green/sustainable, bio/energy and nano/systemic. In the first, we learned about Sustainable Chemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering in the Age of New Challenges, its Game Changing Nature for Our Sustainable Future, and how to go Beyond the Limits to Growth. Secondly, highlights were given on Advanced Fuels, Bioenergy, Bioeconomy Science, and Sustainable Development of Oil Sands and Bio-Resources, newChallenges in Petrochemical Industry. Thirdly, Systems Engineering at the Nanoscale: the engineer’s plants of the future are Molecular Factories, Synthetic Cells, and Adaptive Devices.

All of these seem to merge together in one growing area – interdisciplinary and systemic seem to be the buzz words of the moment. The time of pure and fundamental science seems to be over – mixing in a kind of “world music”. Classical equations do not apply anymore. New integrals seem to be occuring and 1+1 no longer seem to make 2, but given higher value. There appears to be a source of energy and power in innovation which virtually comes out of deep, undiscovered resources. In a time of declining resources, this gives some hope for the future.

The new mathematics apply also to the social science, at least as far as science management and development is concerned. Traditionally academia was the fountain for new ideas and a pool for innovation. Industry took the best and most useful from it and great things were achieved. Here, 1=1+2. Such bridging between science and industry seems to have become outdated. Modern times demand for process intensification and game changing in supply chains and in industrial organization in business models. Rather than being reactive, tomorrow’s industry is proactive and works on an ever-continuing and -developing partnership with academia. Ideas are often not exploited anymore on occasion, rather the creative overarching between academic genius and industrial titans is the deliberate seed for the faster growth thereof.

Philippe A. Tanguy, Vice President, International R&D Programs of Total Company, shows us how a world-scale group integrates academia in its developments. Such a new kind of industrial door opening requires new ways to work with each other and for this a new vocabulary needs to be formulated. Co-Opetition, Co-Innovation, and other terms have been introduced. The challenges of interdisciplinary and systemic developments can only be solved by teams of the best experts. Science and business come together here in a globalization of melting cultures, nations, and disciplines. This is the Champion’s League of chemical engineering.

Such “world music” needs one common language and not a Babylonian splitting in to separate, uncoordinated actions. Besides the ability and will to interact, the capability to do so is needed. A nod to human sciences – in team building, motivation, and also in project management on an advanced level – may be in future not only a “nice to have”, yet be an essential part of an engineering which is chemical in nature, yet touches environmental, bio, and material sciences.

The times of Newton, Edison, Curie, Beilstein, etc. are over – “Teamed Science” needs science teams and these may form in a dynamic manner as we know from the best soccer teams. Yet, these teams still have their Ronaldos, Muellers, Messis, Torres etc. who specialize in defense, middle field, and goal hunting. Engineering in its Champions League will still need strong (and partly) egoistic specialists who make unexpected movements and goals which no one expects. To perform at best level, a whole group of managers, motivators and arrangers is also needed.

Modern times are full of complexity and volatility. This is good, yet hopefully there is still room for the slow hand and soft move of the past area which we have left long ago. I still like to see the golden shine of the Roaring 20s and the lightness of a Charleston dance.

Emperor’s palace in Seoul/South Korea which was the place for a world event in chemical engineering.

Published Online: 2013-10-09

Published in Print: 2013-10-01

Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/gps-2013-0081