Efficiency in industrial research and development

A company with business based on a changing technology must support research in every field that is likely to affect its future, and product and process development should be considered to be part of manufacture. However, if the responsibility for initiating development is put with research departments, they will usually waste effort on projects that are technically sound but cannot be commercially exploited, and, if the responsibility is left with manufacturing or commercial departments, they will fail to start work on anything of uncertain outcome. In order to succeed, a company must find men who can appreciate both points of view.