Expectations of Industry in Education of Physics

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Expectations of Industry in
Education of Physics
EUPEN General Forum
Horst.Soboll_at_web.de Vilnius Sept
10, 2009
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Educated in physics - working in industry

• Which are the key issues today in industry ?
• (experienced by physicists coming from
  university )
• What does business expect especially from
  physicists ?
• What is recommended for higher education in
  physics ?

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Education
If you plan for a year, sow a seed If you
plan for a decade, plant a tree If you plan
for a century, educate the people.
Chuang Tzu (Third Century, B.C.)
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Physics at University of Giessen Dipl. Phys.
1969 Dr. rer. nat. 1973

Wilhelm Hanle Arthur Scharmann

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CONTROL DATA ( 1973 - 1989 )


System Analyst Programming computer
systems Consultant Computer systems and
networks District Manager Software and
consulting Manager Data Services Applications
software Manager Software support Engineering
applications Manager Marketing Supercomputer
Chemical Applications
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Research and Technology ( 1989
2004 )

• 1989 Manager Strategic Projects
• Information and Communication Technology
• 1992 Manager
• Strategy Information Technology
• 1995 Director
• Technology Policy
• 2002 Director
• Research Policy and Communications

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Activities / memberships

• 1994 - 1996 Chairman European Research
  Cooperation for Automotive Industry (AIT)
• 1999 - 2002 Member Advisory Group of the
  European Commission ( Sustainable Mobility)
• 1999 - 2004 Member of the Research Committee of
  German Industry Association (BDI)
• 2000 - 2006 Chair of Research,Technology and
  Innovation Working Group within
• UNICE now BusinessEurope
• 2000 - 2006 Member Advisory Board of the German
  Physical Society ( DPG )
• 2001 - 2005 VicePresident - since 2000 as Board
  Member - European Industrial Research and
  Management Association (EIRMA)
• 2006 - 2007 Chair EURAB - since 2001 as
  ViceChair - European Research
• Advisory Board of the European Commission
  
• 2003 - Member of Board " Foundation of
  German Rectors Conference" (HR)
• 2004 - Member of Editorial Board of the
  Journal "Wissenschaftsmanagement "
• 2005 - Chair ERA Group ERTRAC European
  Road Transport Research Advsory Council
• 2008 - Chair of International Advisory
  Group EITplus - Wroclaw
• 2009 - Member of MODERN Advisory Group (
  Higher Education Modernisation Platform )

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Vacancies for physicists in Germany

• ( of total ) 2007 2009
• Research and Development 25.5 27.4
• Universities / Research institutions 23.5
  21.3
• Manufacturing - Optics/Measurement 9.0
  10.2
• Services - Timework 12.5
  7.9
• Consulting 2.5 1.1
• Engineering / Architecture office 3.0
  2.3
• Health 2.5 2.0
• Public administration 3.5 5.0
• Software development 2.0
  2.0

source - Schroeter DPG Physik Journal 2008
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Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell demonstration of
nuclear magnetic resonance 1946
Physics in 1952
Medicine in 2003
Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield demonstration
of NMR imaging in early 70ties
SOURCE NOBELPRIZE.ORG
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PASTEURs QUADRANT - Basic and Use Inspired
Research
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Research and Innovation
Research
Knowledge
Money
Innovation
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Kommunikation Nobel
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Research, Market and Society
Research
Market
Society
Innovation
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The Innovation Processfrom a linear model in the
past towards a network between stakeholders
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The Knowledge Triangle
Contribution to the Lisbon objectives economic
growth, employment creation, environmental
protection, societal challenges fight poverty,
improve human health and quality of life(GSM,
remote working, safe roads, etc.)?
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Physicist in industry

• There has never been a "physics industry"
• compared to disciplines like chemistry or
  engineering
• A growing share of physicists don t go in RD
• but to non-technological functions, services,
  consulting
• Physicists are are often not recognized /
  visible, since they are not hired because of
  their physics studies only

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IBM Rueschlikon
Industrial Research

• BELL Laboratories

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Five key criteria for passenger cars
Non- stationary behavior High dynamic
performance (driving pleasure)
Costs Reduced production costs Reduced operation
costs Reduced recycling costs
Power density Light weight Small and light
The current market Who is willing to buy it ? New
markets have to be established !
Efficiency Reduced energy consumption Reduced
fuel consumption
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Vision "Accident Free Driving
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Vision of accident free driving Driver
Assistance Systems
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Expectations on Universities

• Education - Priority activity trained people
  for research and management scientific methods
  - in depth analysis cooperation
  interdisciplinary teams
• Research - Knowledge generation basis for new
  products, services, processes knowledge
  transfer via agency or people patents -
  licences as financial source
• Third Mission link to grand challenges of
  society regional clusters - support a specific
  profile

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Risk and Innovation
The greatest risk for research and innovation
is to stop taking risks !
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• Culture to accept failure

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Acceptance of New Technologies
Market Penetration
Examples of Information Technology
Java
World Wide Web
Virtual Reality
Smart Cards
Workflow
Speech Recognition
Personal Digital Assistent
Desktop Conferencing
Time
Fascination
Consolidation
Starting Phase
Doubts
Disillusionment
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Incremental innovation
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Specific Expectations on Universities

• Cooperation - join forces and resources
• Mutual understanding of science / industry
• Efficiency in collaborations
• Strategic partnership - PhD programs
• Link to business / society challenges
• Industry needs - align research strategies
• High risk in frontier research
• Complement industry portfolio
• Communications of research community
• Towards business / public Justification
  needed - proportional to budget

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• Recommendations to universities
• Strengthen education role of universities aim
  for excellence / reputation in education as well
• competition, incentives, awards
• adapt to new demands
• Open University more for non standard students
• age above 25, part time, mixed
  backgrounds flexible entry criteria - life long
  learning
• Cooperation with business
• flexible collaborations in research ( IPR,
  bonus )
• common strategies ( research themes, boards )
• exchange of people ( in both directions )

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Employment of physicists in German
sectors
8.9
energy
health
RD
finance-commerce
4.4
10.3
1.2
8.9
university
other manufacturing
7.1
15.3
public administration
3.7
8.9
other knowledge based services
12.3
IT
8.5
12.0
vehicle manufacturing-engineering
7.3
manufacturing
other education
source Schroeter DPG study to be published 2009
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Importance of job skills and capabilities ()
work techniques / teamwork application
specific capabilities communication /
presentation skills foreign language skills the
oretical subject matter expertise negotiation
skills / leadership international exchange /
experience marketing / management
taught "well" to "excellent" at
university "important" to "very
important " on the job

Quelle VDE-Studie Young Professionals 8/2003
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Diamond market in Amsterdam
Clarity Carat Colour Cut
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ClarityCommunication Commitment
Championship
Success factors in business
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Leadership
Lead a team towards a common goal
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up
people to collect wood and don't assign them
tasks and work, but rather teach them to long
for the endless immensity of the sea. Antoine
de Saint - Exupery ( French writer 1900 -1944
)
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Customer Orientation

The customer isnt only king, he even becomes
dictator.
Kunde als Diktator
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Imagination
Marketing Study in 1900
The worldwide demand of passenger cars is
thought to never exceed one million, partly due
to a limited availability of chauffeurs.
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Accept defeat
We gather strength with each success, and we
grow with each defeat

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The future can not be predicted... but may be
influenced
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Flexibility

• It is not the strongest of the species that
  survives,
• nor the most intelligent,
• but the one most responsive to change.
• Charles Darwin
• 1809-1882

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Key Expectations in Education of Physics

• Generate a sound basis - content
• knowledge of physics as a general discipline
• Strengthen the broad spectrum of the discipline
• incl. less known application of physical
  principles
• Detail in some fields up to current key issues /
  questions
• e.g. early involvement in frontier research
• Avoid limitation to currently fashionable themes
• sharpen the specific niche / profile of the
  faculty

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High passion for physics
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Key expectations - besides physics itself

• Methods and analytical tools of physical
  research independent of content or specific
  field
• Analysis of complex situations and problems
• fast familiarizing in new fields
• Translation of physics in real life situations
• towards application of physical principles
• Independent, target-oriented work
• preferably in a team or in an expert network
• Communication capabilities in all forms
• oral, written, presenting, convincing etc.

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"I cannot say whether things will get better if
we change what I can say is they must change
if they are to get better"

• Georg Cristoph Lichtenberg
• German physicist 1742 - 1799