Histories of major industrial research laboratories are an essential contribution to the history of technology. This book offers a description of the way one of such laboratories has changed its ambitions and activities in the course of time. In the 80-year period that is described here, the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium has played different roles for the Philips company - today one of the world's largest electronics company - which was founded in 1891 in the Netherlands. The history of this laboratory is described in three main periods, each characterized by its goals, available means, organizational structures, research culture, and external relations. For each period the general story line is alternated by case study descriptions.
Histories of major industrial research laboratories are an essential contribution to the history of technology. This book offers a description of the way one of such laboratories has changed its ambitions and activities in the course of time. In the 80-year period that is described here, the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium has played different roles for the Philips company - today one of the world's largest electronics company - which was founded in 1891 in the Netherlands. The history of this laboratory is described in three main periods, each characterized by its goals, available means, organizational structures, research culture, and external relations. For each period the general story line is alternated by case study descriptions.
Über den Autor
Marc J. de Vries is assistant professor of Philosophy of Technology at the Eindhoven University of Technology and affiliate professor of Reformational Philosophy at the Delft University of Technology, both in the Netherlands. From 1997 to 2000 he worked for the Stichting Historie der Techniek on the research that led to this book, which was commissioned by Philips Research.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Preface, 1. The Role of a Research Organisation in an Industrial Company: Motives and Themes for Writing the History of the Philips Nat. Lab., 2. Prologue: The [...].'s Early Years (1914-1923),PART I. The [...]. as a Growth and Diversification Factor in the Philips Company (1923-1946), 3. Developing a Research Organisation for a Diversifying Company, 3.1 Philips and Technological and Economic Developments in the Netherlands in the 1923-1946 Period, 3.2 Supporting Company Diversification as a [...]. Goal, 3.3 Increasing the Laboratory's Means, The Culture and Structures for the Diversifying Research Programme, 3.5 Influencing the Company,65 4. Research for Diversification in Action 4.1 Gas Discharges and Mercury Lamps, 4.2 X-ray Tubes, 4.3 Ferrites, 4.4 Holst's Rules Reconsidered, Intermezzo I. The German Occupation and the Transition Years (1940-1946), PART II. An Autonomous Lab alongside Autonomous Product Divisions (1946-1972), 5. A Research Organisation alongside Autonomous Product Divisions, 5.1 The Economic, Social and Scientific Context in the 1950s and 1960s, 5.2 A New Task Profile for the [...]., 5.3 Further Increase of Means, 5.4 Culture and Structure for a 'Fundamental' Research Lab in an Industrial Lab, 5.5 Tensions in the Relationships with PDs, 6. The Practice of Autonomous Research, 6.1 The Stirling Engine, 6.2 The Plumbicon, 6.3 LOCOS: LOCal Oxidation of Silicon, 6.4 The VLP, 6.5 Inventions and Innovations, Intermezzo II. Changing Attitudes towards Science and Technology (1966-1972),196 PART III. The Road towards Mutual Commitment (1972-1994), 7. Redirecting the Research Organisation for Mutual Commitment, 7.1 The Problematic Economic Climate, 7.2 Towards a PD-oriented Task Profile, 7.3 Limited Resources,216 7.4 Changes in the Lab Culture, 7.5 Increasing Co-operation with PDs, 8. Examples of the Road towards Mutual Commitment, 8.1 Optical Telecommunications, 8.2 Integrated Digital Audio Converters, 8.3 Magnetic Recording Heads for Consumer Video Cassette Recorders, 8.4 A Knowledge Centre for the Company, 9. Epilogue: The Dynamics of the [...]. as a Professional Organisation within the Philips Company, 9.1 Changes in the Role of the [...]., 9.2 The Nature of Industrial Research, 9.3 Comparison with other Industrial Research Laboratories, List of Figures, Notes, Index.
