Transitioning Science Theory to Industrial Reality : A Research Engineer ’ s Perspective

Essential to the flow of funds into the research and development (R&D) community is the outward flow of results that directly impact the undertakings of organizations with budgets to spend on problem solutions and capability improvements. Especially during times of budget cuts resulting from recessionary economies, technology producers must foster win-win symbiotic relationships with technology users. By whatever measure technology users employ to define profit, technology producers have to deliver results that clearly add to the bottom and top lines of their sponsors. This paper discusses a philosophy of R&D and technology insertion. Developed over 35 successful years of practice in industry, this philosophy smoothly transitions theory to reality in a way that benefits both communities, R&D and industry. The word “philosophy” is used instead of “policy” since the approach taken has a basic foundation that is highly flexible. Rather than a set of “rules” that one must follow, a set of general principles is employed. Two projects are presented that used these basic principles to achieve positive results in diverse and important domains. KeywordsTechnology Insertion, Research Management, Technology Transition, Agriculture, Plant Security. African Journal of Computing & ICT Reference Format: P.G. Raeth, S.M. McGhee and M. Munyaradzi (2013). Transitioning Science Theory To Industrial Reality: A Research Engineer’s Perspective. Afr J. of Comp & ICTs. Vol 6, No. 4. Pp 103-114