1、 外文翻译 原文 The Chemical Industry Drives Innovation also in Times of Crisis: BASF as an Example Material Source: Speinger Verlag Author: Andreas Kreimeyer Scientific, technological and institutional innovations drive organic growth and thus are core elements of the strategy pursued by most companies. T
2、he chemical industry, as a supplier of innovative materials, drives innovation for many sectors of industry. The goal of a research oriented chemical company is to generate product and process innovations, something which often takes several years. Key elements of innovative activity are therefore c
3、ontinuity and long-term commitment especially in times of crisis. The chemical industry bases its activities not only on topics of current interest to various industry sectors and consumers and on technological trends, but also increasingly on long-term megatrends. We are combining our spirit of inn
4、ovation, entrepreneurship and knowledge to find answers to urgent challenges of the future, such as feeding the growing world population and securing supplies of the scarcest resource: clean water, meeting rising energy demand without harming the environment, satisfying increasing requirements for t
5、ransportation and individual mobility. Currently, we are potentially experiencing the most severe crisis of the past 100 years. Nevertheless, the chemical industry is demonstrating great dedication and commitment to research at this time. But we also depend on political support. Our innovative stren
6、gth and international competitiveness must be sustainably supported by suitable framework conditions. During an economic downturn, companies in all the affected industries see themselves forced to cut costs. This can also impact investment in research and development, although innovations are and wi
7、ll remain the principal sources of long-term growth. The economic and financial crisis we have been experiencing as a global phenomenon since 2008 has not reduced the need for innovations in areas such as nanotechnology, green gene technology, material sciences and clean energy. Crises and technolog
8、ical progress are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, experience shows that crises actually generate innovations. The great world economic crisis which started in 1929 and overshadowed the 1930s is a good example: research by industrial historians has revealed that from 1929 onwards, chemical c
9、ompanies developed more than 50 important basic products within a single decade, more than ever before. Second only to the electronics industry, the chemical industry was the most research intensive sector at that time. In fact, the period from 1929 to 1941 is even regarded as the most technological
10、ly progressive periods in U.S. economic history, and chemistry was one of the key industries of science-driven U.S. society. In the 1930s, the aim of companies striving for innovations was to reduce costs and simultaneously develop new and better products instead of merely returning to the status qu
11、o of the pre-crisis period, as American economic historian Michael Bernstein writes. Moreover, the strained economic situation acted as a stimulus to improve the utilization of reaction by-products and waste materials. The German chemical industry also achieved major breakthroughs in that period, al
12、though cost cutting was still the order of the day in research. In 1929, at the outset of the world economic crisis and in the Depression years that followed, the German chemical industry suffered a severe setback. When the Depression came to a head in 19301931, research and development expenditures
13、 were drastically cut back: laboratory personnel were laid off, a hiring freeze was imposed and the research budget for new processes was slashed to less than a tenth. Despite everything, the crisis of 1929 also resulted in great innovations within Germany. Innovations are based on processes of know
14、ledge generation and dissemination. Satisfying the growing need for knowledge and increasing the contribution of knowledge to create value are among the most important challenges facing the industrialized societies, both in good and bad times. Competitive advantages are gained by the company which p
15、roduces an innovation with limited resources in a short time; in other words achieving market success with new solutions to existing problems. This applies especially to countries, such as Germany, having few raw material resources. Transforming knowledge into market successes and thus into added va
16、lue allows companies to differentiate themselves from each other. Many years ago, we established a process at BASF which now allows us to distinguish ourselves from our competitors through our innovations. One of the elements of this was to consistently place research and development on an internati
17、onal footing while simultaneously reducing complexity. Innovation is a key component of our long-term corporate strategy. Today, BASFs global R 2007: 12.4 percent). Moreover, research expenditure for “pure” chemistry in Germany is stagnant, whereas research networks abroad are being established. To
18、avoid “missing the boat”, we must tap into new areas of activity such as nanotechnology or green biotechnology. This requires an innovation-friendly environment. Instead, in the public sponsorship of nanotechnology, Germany has dropped from third place after the USA and Japan to fifth place after Ch
19、ina and Russia. In our global world, the chemical industry delivers decisive stimuli for innovations across all industries. Especially in times of crisis, this innovation driver must be a smooth running engine. To ensure this, we must maintain the continuity of research and development. Innovations
20、are indispensable for solving the problems of the future which transcend national concerns, such as supplying a growing world population or safeguarding energy supplies. The economy must demonstrate the will to show a long-term continuous commitment to research and development. At the same time it m
21、ust remain open to interdisciplinary cooperation with partners in both economy and science, because the increasingly complex research projects can only be handled through a joint effort. This cooperation has long transcended all international boundaries both in the form of international cooperations
22、 and through the internationalization of research and development within the companies. Only with a global perspective can the global challenges we want to tackle be solved. Technological progress alone, however, is not enough unless accompanied by institutional and societal change. The fear of the
23、new must not lead to general taboos being imposed either on thinking and research, or on decision making and implementation. Our task is therefore to see innovations more within their sociopolitical context than we did in the past. Only if politics and economy stand shoulder to shoulder can a climat
24、e favorable for innovation arise. For the chemical industry to sustainably prevail in international competition, we need optimal operating conditions. We need the best chemists, the best physicists, the best engineers. We need patience, resolve and the will to pursue projects with a long-term perspe
25、ctive. Because both in good and bad times, innovations shape the future. 译文 化工驱动创新业在危难中 巴斯夫为例 资料来源 : 德国斯普林格科技出社 作者： 安德烈亚斯凯迈业 科学、技术和制度创新驱动有机增长 ,进而其 核心要素的战略 为大多数公司所追求。化工行业，作为供应商的一种创新原料，驱动了许多工业部门的创新。一个以研究为主的化工公司的目标是生产产品和革新，这些往往是需要好几年时间的。创新活动的关键要素是 承诺的连续性和长期性，特别是在危机时期。 化学工业的基础主题活动不仅对各行业和 消费者的活期利息在技术发展上的
26、趋势，而且对长期利息 的趋势也越来越多。我们正在结合我们的创新精神、企业家精神和知识为未来的严峻挑战寻找答案，例如 ： 为世界上不断增长的人口提供食物和确保供应最紧缺的资源：干净的谁； 会议能源需求上升，而不污染环境； 满足日益增长的需求、运输和个体流动。 目前，我们可能正在经历着过去 100 年来最严重的危机。然而，化学工业却在这个时候表现出问答的奉献精神，并致力于研究。但是，我们还是要依赖于政治上的支持。我们的创新实力和国际竞争力通过合适的框架条件，必须能够被支持。 在经济低迷时期，所有受到影响的行业和公司不得不削减成不。这 也会影响研究和开发的投资，虽然创新一直是并将继续保持长期增长的主
27、要来源。自2008 年以来，经济和金融危机已经作为一个全球性的现象，但是并没有减少 创新，如纳米技术、绿色基因技术、材料科学和清洁能源等领域的需求。 危机和技术进步并不是相互排斥的。相反，经验表明，危机实际上产生了创新。开始于 1929 年的全球经济大危机盖过了 20 世纪 30 年代就是一个很好的例子：由工业历史学家的研究发现，从 1929 年起，化学公司在一个十年内研制出了超过 50 个重要的基本产品，这比以往 任何时候都要多。化学工业是当时研究最密集的行业，仅次于 电子工业。事实上，从 1929 年至 1941 年甚至被看做是美国经济史上技术最进步的时期，并且化学是以科学为主导的美国社会
28、的重要产业之一。 20 世纪 30 年代，公司奋斗创新的目标是减少成本，同时开发新的、更好的产品，而不仅仅只是回到危机时期的状态，魏国的经济历史学家迈克尔 伯恩斯坦如此写道。此外，紧张的经济形势作为一个刺激，以提高副产品和废料的利用率。德国化学工业在这个时期也取得了重大突破，虽然削减成本仍然存在于研究的事议日程上。 1929 年，在世界经济危机和随后的大萧条年代开始，德国化工行业遭受了严重挫折。 1930-1931 年，大萧条时期达到紧要关头 ，研究和开发支出大幅削减：实验室人员被裁减，冻结招聘是强加的，并且新工艺的研究预算被削减至少超过了十分之一。尽管如此， 1929 年的危机还导致在德国的
29、伟大创新。 创新是在知识的产生和传播的过程中发展的。 无论是在繁荣还是萧条时期，为满足日益增长的知识需求和加大知识贡献的创作价值是工业化社会所面临的作重要的挑战。 竞争优势的获得是借由公司在短时间内以有限的资源产生创新实现的，换句话说，新市场的成功解决了存在的问题。 这特别适用于诸如德国等国家，有一些原料资源。知识转化为市场的成功， 从而用切的附加值来区分彼此。许多年前，我们确定了巴斯夫的进程，使我们现在能够通过我们的创新区别于我们的竞争对手。其要素之一是坚持把研究和开发放置在一个国际基础上 。创新是长期企业战略的关键组成部分。 今天，巴斯夫的全球科研机构是基于四个中心技术平台嵌入在全球看客户
30、资源网络、大学、研究机构、企业、中外合资高新技术企业合作伙伴。这一技术诀窍联合体是在研究和开发中的集极度专业的 8900 位员工和外部的伙伴。 我们建立了一个学习型组织。这使我们能够及时确定未来的趋势 和未来的挑战，并解决那种我们正在经历的持续独立的危机。 研究和开发是不断重复地被需要，不仅是在克服体制上，也是克服国界的需求。未来的挑战只能通过国际合作来作为全球化视点。这尤其适用于化学工业。例如， 20 年内，巴斯夫公司的研究和开发的雇员人数在欧洲范围外几乎已经翻了一番，并已成立了区域研究平台。这种国际化已经通过合作关系和世界各地 新实验室的建立而被向前推广。巴斯夫正与，例如，哈佛大学，综合科
31、学情报服务，斯特拉斯堡的科学研究协会与新加坡国立大学推行重要和成功的合作项目。 特别是亚洲，作为一个研究地点正变得越来越 重要。亚洲经济实力不断增长的同时，该地区的创新能力也正在提高。像中国和印度等国家，近年来做出了巨大的努力，并在他们的大学设立了生产研究中心。这说明了，例如，科学出版物越来越多。 现正由亚洲新兴国家的国际科学化学刊物的贡献几乎达到30%。 在全球化进程中，许多化工企业因此不仅在亚洲建立了生产中心，而且现在越来越多地追求本地区的研究。 这些公司正在从事于特殊的接近客户的直接应用，与本地及国际客户的密切合作。我们并不认为仅在德国的研究预算花费是不言而喻的。我们正在越来越多地利用亚
32、洲的知识和研究网络资源。 举个例子来说， 现在德国化工企业的全部研究预算的 30%被分配给国外的研究和开发项目。 即使在 2008 年的经济危机以前，它已经明确了更加激烈的国际竞争是合适的。 20 世纪 80 年代和 90 年代，传统工业化国家已经失去了他们 在有“小老虎国家”之称的东亚，例如台湾、韩国、新加坡和香港的研究密集的生产垄断地位。新世纪的中国、印度和巴西以及俄罗斯和中东、中欧国家正在起领头作用。现今，新兴经济体已成为“赶超型国家” 不再仅仅只是扩大的工作台和原料供应商，还正在扩展主要的力量和活力和提技术供密集型的产品。 中国，例如，20 世纪 90 年代中期以来，其 研究开支已经提
33、高了 7 倍。 像德国这样的传统工业化国家必须确保与时并进。 作为德国的起源公司，巴斯夫当然是特别相关的。然而，我们看到，德国的化工行业在世界贸易中正在不断失去份额（ 1995 年： 15.2%； 2007 年： 12.4%）。此外，德国纯化学研究开支停滞不前，而国外的研究网络正在建立。为了避免“失去先机”，我们必须打入新的活动领域，如纳米技术、绿色生物技术。这就需要一个创新的环境。相反，纳米技术的世界地位，德国已经从从美国和日本的第三位，降到了中国和俄罗斯之后的第五位。 从全球看，化工行业能够实现各行业决定性 的创新刺激。特别是在危机时期，这种创新驱动程序必须是一个平稳运行的发动机。为了确保
34、这一点，我们必须保持研究和开发的持续性。创新是解决未来朝阳国家的问题，如 提供 不断增长的世界人口 食物和保障能源供应的问题，是必不可少的。 经济可以显示长期不断承诺研究和开发的意愿。同时，经济和科学各科学间的合作关系必须保持开放，因为 日益复杂的研究项目只能通过共同努力来处理。这种合作早已超越了国界，无论是以国际合作的形式，还是公司内部国际化的研究和开发。我们希望解决的全球性挑战只有通过全球的角度才能解决。 然而，仅仅是技术进步是不 够的，除非伴随着体制和社会的变革。 新的恐惧决不能导致一般禁忌被强加，无论在思想和研究上，还是在决策和实施上。因此，我们的任务是在其社会政治背景下，和我们过去比较创新。 只有政治和经济肩并肩才能产生良好的创新环境。为了化工行业在国际竞争中持续获胜，我们需要最佳的工作条件。我们需要最好的化学家，最好的物理学家和最优秀的工程师。我们需要耐心、决心和意志，追求长远的角度看项目。因为无论在繁荣还是萧条时期，创新塑造未来。
