From: sl2k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Schitt Laowattana)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Part[3]:Promoting R&D in Materials Technology-based Industries
Date: 15 Oct 92 16:13:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.cerUZ5i00WBLQ6L0k9
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

3. Upgrading R&D Capability

	The Term `upgrading' might not be truely applicable with regard to the
R&D activities in materials as there is not very much to be upgraded. 
`Creating up' or `building up' R&D capability might be more appropriate
terms.  As has been mentioned, the core components of R&D are personel,
budget and facilities.  These, together with other secondary factors
already mentioned, will be discussed in turn.

	Increasing the number of qualified R&D personel is the first and most
important thing that must be accomplished.  At present, there are too
few qualified scientists and engineers to form the `critical mass' for
carrying out R&D activities in materials technology sucessfully.  We can
count, for example, the number of metallurgists with Ph.D with our
fingers.  The number of qualified ceramists are also very small and must
be increased.  Comparing with other countries, for example Korea and
Taiwan, not to mention Japan and other industrialized countries, the
number of material scientists and engineers in Thailand may be
considered negligible.  As the development of qaulified R&D personel
takes a rather long time, urgent actions have been employed by the Royal
Thai Government.  Ministry of Science Technology and Energy (MoSTE) has
been providing scholarships for Thai students to study overseas in the
field of materials technology, metallurgy and ceramics in particular, at
both graduate level and undergraduate levels.  This is the shortest
possible route (requiring at least three years) for increasing the
quntity of R&D personel.  At the same time graduate course in this field
should be established in the country(there is no graduate program in
metallurgy and ceramics in Thailand at present).  It should be a longer
term aim that human resource should be developed, at least in part,
within the country.  Repatriation is another possibility for solving the
immediate problem of personel shortage although the probability for
success is rather low.  Joint R&D efforts between government bodies and
the private sector would also help as there are, according to the
survey, some industrial sector would like to participate in R&D
activities of their interests.  The combination of academic and
industrial R&D personel would also lead to the more interesting,
application-oriented R&D program and should be encouraged and supported
by relevent organizations e.g MoSTE, Ministry of Industry(MOI), Science
and Technology Development Board(STDB) and National Research
Council(NRC).

Posted by

Schitt(DJ)  Laowattana

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