Abstract
THE Manchester Joint Research Council, established in 1945 has for the first time issued a printed annual report. This report, covering the year 1948, pays tribute to the work of Mr. A. H. S. Hinchcliffe, as chairman, and Sir John Stopford, as treasurer, during the first, formative years, and they have now been succeeded by Sir E. Raymond Streat and Sir Charles G. Renold, respectively. One of the most successful ventures of the year was the meeting in February, addressed by Dr. A. King, which was a result of the efforts by the Council to supply information to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on the need for sponsored research activities in the north-west of England. The resulting discussion further indicated that for many years to come the Council is likely to be closely concerned with improving the technology of the small firm and with encouraging accelerated development and inventiveness in industry generally. In an effort to ascertain how the Council might apply itself to discovering the hindrances which prevent firms from using knowledge already available, Sir Henry Tizard was invited to the October meeting of the Council. Sir Henry's remarks reinforced the opinion that an objective and scientific investigation of the needs of industry in this area would be a substantial contribution ; and at the annual meeting on February 28, the joint honorary secretary, Mr. J. Ainsley, indicated the broad pattern of the inquiry which the Council proposed to pursue. The intention was for a team of experienced men to visit a cross-section of industry, some three hundred or three hundred and fifty firms, and to investigate how scientific information reaches a firm, the obstacles, and the methods by which the obstacles might be overcome. The inquiry might reveal the need for a regional institute of the type of the Mellon Institute; but an attempt would also be made to assess the means whereby scientific methods and technical knowledge could immediately be applied to increase productivity. New staff would be required for the survey, and in this it was hoped that industrial establishments would assist.
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Manchester Joint Research Council : Report for 1948. Nature 163, 520–521 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/163520c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/163520c0