Our View of the Sector
International programs and projects
This sector requires a wide range of tools to carry out its research projects. However, many of these tools do not exist on the market and researchers are therefore obliged to design and construct their own resources. Tools for research can be extremely sophisticated and complex, thereby necessitating significant financial investment, the sum of which often exceeds the budget of a single nation. In this case, the international community generally unites its resources behind a particular program.
The VLT (Very Large Telescope) in Chili, the synchrotron radiation project, SOLEIL in Gif-sur-Yvette (France), the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) in Grenoble, the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in Geneva and the soon-to-be-opened ITER research center all are good examples of this type of action.
Physical and intellectual management
A research center constitutes land, building, machines, equipment and, naturally, extensive intellectual expertise: all in all, a substantial resource base. Good financial management requires an efficient strategy for preserving this base in order to continue to benefit from its considerable value.
The human factor is high in this equation and extremely sensitive to changes in its environment, whereas the launch of a new research program logically involves change in terms of organization, tools and/or methods. It is therefore essential, when introducing new solutions, to provide support for the men and women affected by the situation, in order to make the transition period as smooth as possible.
This sector requires a wide range of tools to carry out its research projects. However, many of these tools do not exist on the market and researchers are therefore obliged to design and construct their own resources. Tools for research can be extremely sophisticated and complex, thereby necessitating significant financial investment, the sum of which often exceeds the budget of a single nation. In this case, the international community generally unites its resources behind a particular program.
The VLT (Very Large Telescope) in Chili, the synchrotron radiation project, SOLEIL in Gif-sur-Yvette (France), the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) in Grenoble, the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in Geneva and the soon-to-be-opened ITER research center all are good examples of this type of action.
Industrial needs
A research program consists in a number of financial and technical partners calling on the services of hundreds of subcontractors from a variety of different fields. Such a program therefore requires :
A research program consists in a number of financial and technical partners calling on the services of hundreds of subcontractors from a variety of different fields. Such a program therefore requires :
a "project"-style management approach: structure, efficient organization and the implementation of performance (schedule) and control (finance, quality) indicators.
maximum security management of a vast amount of information enabling it to be consulted, updated and exchanged with relative ease.
the support of network architecture capable of managing multi-country collaboration.
Physical and intellectual management
A research center constitutes land, building, machines, equipment and, naturally, extensive intellectual expertise: all in all, a substantial resource base. Good financial management requires an efficient strategy for preserving this base in order to continue to benefit from its considerable value.
The human factor is high in this equation and extremely sensitive to changes in its environment, whereas the launch of a new research program logically involves change in terms of organization, tools and/or methods. It is therefore essential, when introducing new solutions, to provide support for the men and women affected by the situation, in order to make the transition period as smooth as possible.