Research and Development Management in the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry

Book excerpt: Mastering management skills is hard to achieve by newcomers starting their careers in the chemical industry. The message coming from there is that good chemists swiftly have to become good managers if they are to survive and progress in today's competitive climate. This book is designed to help guide younger R & D chemists to ways in which they can quickly evolve skills which are built around three factors - people, knowledge and time. It covers the management of scientific personnel, management within a variety of R & D organisational structures, creating a climate of innovation, the management of projects including the time management and communication aspects of the job. The author, Peter Bamfield, is now working as a consultant. Due to his long experience in the chemical industry, he was elected President of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Industrial Affairs Division. This second edition of the book has been revised and updated to take recent global developments and restructuring in the chemical industry into account, as well as the rising importance of information technology in management.