‘Reinventing’ Industrial Basic Research

Abstract

OVERVIEW:Currently, much is being said and written about the decline of longer-range R&D in the U.S., and industrial basic research in particular (1). Exxon has maintained its commitment to basic research but has undertaken a major redesign of its management system aimed at significantly increasing the commercial impact of the effort. The new system utilizes a hybrid arrangement to capture the best characteristics of both centralized and decentralized alternatives. Other key features include: 1) business input from all management levels—senior corporate officials to plant operators; 2) a business-driven approach that articulates targeted science advances in clear technical terms; and 3) a seamless link to ongoing applied development research activities via integrated planning, execution and stewardship systems. Both anecdotal and quantitative feedback indicate that the desired inaease in commercial impact is being achieved.