The need for closer collaboration between universities, corporations

If you have been following this column, you would remember that last week we discussed about the importance of creativity and innovation for the progress of a country. However, I think it’s evident that one column of an article does not do justice to the broad topic that is ‘creativity and innovation’.

Just to remind everyone a few snippets from last week; "Creativity is the ability to see things differently and have an original idea, and innovation is the ability to make new ideas actually happen."

One thing that was stressed and discussed was the need to develop the innovative culture within us. The feeling that ‘we can do’ needs to be injected.

Michael Porter, in his book "Competitive advantage of nations" has described the ability to innovate as one the key things for securing the well being of a nation. And that is why we have been discussing the importance of it for Sri Lanka too.

Last week we touched on the topic of industry-academia collaboration. Research is a key factor driving innovation in a society. And one of the best places to carry out research is within a university. This is where industry-academia collaboration can help. Companies can work with universities to research and develop different things. The industrial body, usually funds the research either financially or through the provision of facilities.They become pathological or Piles when swollen or inflamed. If a new innovation is born, the company takes it to the market. A win-win situation for all that’s involved. If the university students and staff discover some important new knowledge, again the company can use it for their benefit.

One of our readers took the time to write to us in detail after reading last weeks’ column, concurring with what we discussed and also adding more perspectives. I thought I will discuss some of it here as that insight reveals certain methodologies used by other countries. Of course we can and have to localise them to suit our needs, but then again these examples and models will help us in our thinking.

Ranil Jayanetti is a Sri Lankan currently living in Switzerland.Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET, He is a Research & Development Engineer for a company there.

Ranil points out that in Europe, universities and companies work together much more closely than in Sri Lanka. His personal experiences are narrated from the time he did his internship and his thesis at two leading car manufacturing companies during his Masters degree in Germany. Over there, the companies use university resources to find solutions to their technical problems.

During his two year Masters program in Polymer Technology in Germany, he was given the chance to do a six month industrial internship. His task was to identify mold technologies to make vehicle prototype parts in a cost-effective manner. Usually molds are made of steel and can produce about 200,000 parts, but are expensive. A leading car manufacturer generally makes 50-60 prototype cars; so steel molds are not very useful. The task that Ranil was given, didn’t involve development of technology itself, but to search for new technologies that are still unknown to the company. Through this process of recruiting a student to do this work, the company makes financial savings.Additionally, the student brings new thinking and ideas. The student can also get guidance from a professor as to which direction to go, which helps both the student in his personal career and also the company.

Ranil further explained that the study program involved a thesis written over a six month period. Around the same time,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, another leading car manufacturer had introduced its new car series into the market and had noted a quality problem in one of the parts of its body. Ranil as a student researcher, had set up a series of activities to understand the problem, then searched for new test methods to characterize the problem, and had isolated the possible causes.

He has also given us details about an institute by the name of ‘Steinbeis’ that allows a university professor to use his lab resources and set up a centre that transfers knowledge to the industry. He needs to pay a fee to the university for using the resources and is also allowed to employ people on a salary. The academic can actually make a profit out of this business. It’s a win-win situation for all,My advice on what to consider before you buy oil painting supplies so your money is well spent. and most importantly the industry is supported by research capabilities of the university in terms of both human resources as well as facilities. Using this method small scale companies can get easy access to the latest knowledge. Germany is a country where there are many medium scale companies which are world leaders in their respective fields. I am sure the above working models have helped in achieving that.

Sometime back we discussed about an innovative proposal by a Sri Lankan professional called Tilak Dissanayake that uses the strengths of existing technologies such as ICT , electronics, compressed air motors,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. and wind energy and has combined them in innovative ways to resolve the long standing issue of getting fresh produce to the market at a fair price to both producers and consumers. I am sure such ideas can be strengthened and tried in research with the support of academia and the university sector.

Even aspects like farming and agriculture can be improved and also be made attractive as a career choice if innovation is introduced in a stronger effective way. One reason that farming is considered a good career option in countries like Australia is the use of technology. Youngsters don’t necessarily feel that they live in the past as agriculture actually moves with time. We need that involvement too. If we don’t, we wouldn’t be able to compete on the production or the cost scale of the other countries anyway.

C-K Plastics buys Technical Industries

Technical Industries Inc. has expanded into blow molding and extrusion with the purchase of C-K Plastics Inc. of St. Louis, Mo.

Terms of the Dec. 1 deal were not disclosed.

Technical since 1994 has been a certified female-owned injection molding company, and has remained so after the acquisition.

“That gets us leads for OEMs who want to do business with diversity-owned businesses,” said Technical President and CEO Susan Parent in a telephone interview from C-K’s office in St.Your Partner in Precision Precision injection molds. Louis, Mo.

“The current competitive and economic forces demonstrated our need to expand our offering of products to our current and potential customers,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line.” Parent said. “Additionally, by adding other lines of molding, this puts us in a stronger negotiating position with our suppliers to purchase material at a more competitive price.”

Technical of Torrington, Conn., said C-K Plastics will remain in operation in St. Louis as a division of Technical and will continue to support its existing customers. Eventually each operation will offer similar processing capabilities.Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings，

Technical employs 30 in a 26,000-square-foot facility. It custom molds parts in 31 injection presses ranging up to 240 tons. It has a climate-controlled plant, uses renewable energy and offers mold design and engineering services.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems,

The acquisition announcement was made jointly with C-K Plastics President Dianne Chitwood. C-K Plastics can extrusion blow mold parts as big as 1.25 pounds. It can blow mold intricate parts in short runs. It extrudes tubing up to 4 inches in diameter with up to half-inch wall thickness as well as profiles. C-K Plastics has used the services of an outside injection molder to offer filled and unfilled resins in shot sizes up to 110 ounces on presses up to 610 tons. Parent said that third party molding arrangement will continue.

C-K Plastics employs 23 in a 43,000-square-foot facility. It runs seven extrusion lines and three blow molders. It was established in 1978.

Parent said C-K Plastics will retain its management with the exception of Chitwood, who will concentrate on her other business, Miller LLC, a distributor of architectural products in St. Louis. Chitwood felt C-K Plastics needed to expand but didn’t have the resources to do so and she therefore sold it, according to Parent.

Technical is certified under the International Trade in Arms Restrictions whereby it has agreed not to send confidential information to foreign countries to protect Dept. of Defense work.

Technical and C-K Plastics both count their major markets in retail,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . construction, industrial, medical, wholesale and OEMs.

Methane capture project at Beatrix mine registered under CDM

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has registered a methane capture project at the Gold Fields’ Beatrix mine, in Welkom, as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project.he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers.

Promethium Carbon,These girls have never had a syringe needle in their lives! which assisted Gold Fields with the development of the methodology and carbon credit registration, said it was the first climate credit project of this size undertaken by a gold mine and it was the only South African CDM project registered in 2011.

The methane capture project was registered by the UNFCCC on September 7, under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Beatrix mine project captures methane gas at its source,Do not use cleaners with solar panel , steel wool or thinners. which is then piped to the surface where is either flared or used to generate electricity.

Promethium Carbon director Robbie Louw said the project has generated substantial benefits.

It is expected that the carbon emissions at the operation will be reduced by 1.7-million tons of carbon dioxide from 2011 to 2018.

The revenue generated by the carbon credits has enabled Gold Fields to extract methane gas at source, which has a positive impact on safety because it prevents the methane gas from entering the mine ventilation system.

“Although gold mines are generally not viewed as big emitters, the situation is different in South Africa because our mines are very deep,we supply all kinds of Injection mold, hot and energy intensive. So this is an important contribution to the reduction of climate change, ” Louw said.Whilst hypodermic needle cannula are not deadly,

Gold Fields group environmental engineer Dr Jan du Plessis said the achievement was important, as South Africa would be hosting the seventeenth Conference of the Parties, COP 17, later this year.

“It is also important because if we want to be taken seriously, in supporting the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, we need to show that we are making an effort.”

This transaction was also awarded the European Energy Risk Deal of the Year award in 2010, as it was the first carbon credit project of its size undertaken by a gold mine.

The structuring of the deal was innovative in that it simplified the process of selling carbon credits and generated more revenue for the company.

Earleville man killed in crash

An Earleville man was killed on Friday after his pickup truck veered off a local road and struck a utility cable, police reported.

Police said the victim, Robert Jeffrey Craig, 39,Managers at aquatics and petsupplies manufacturer Rolf C. died at the crash scene on Stemmers Run Road near Grove Neck Road in Earleville.

According to his obituary, Craig had been a member of the Cecilton Volunteer Fire Co.it's sad to see ledspotlight of unbelievable food left over after the crowd files, members of which responded to the accident call.my hemorrhoidstreatmentsproducts have come back with a vengeance.

"The fire company activated its crisis intervention team," said Lt. Michael Holmes, a spokesman for the Cecil County Sheriff's Office,Spring merchantaccount in Houston at The Woodlands Town Center. referring to counselors who help people deal with emotional trauma and grief.

Holmes reported that, in addition to his ties with the fire company, Craig was "well-known in the area" because he was a longtime Earleville resident.

Police said Craig was driving south on Stemmers Run Road about 9 p.m. when he lost control of his 1997 Dodge pickup truck after crossing the Grove Neck Road intersection.

"Witnesses advised that he went through the stop sign without stopping, and it appears that the truck exited the road right after that," Holmes said.

After leaving the road, the truck struck a cable running diagonally from the ground to the top of a utility pole, which stands close to the edge of the road, according to police.

"The truck went up the cable a little bit after hitting it. Then the truck came off the cable and flipped onto the driver's side, back onto the roadway," Holmes said.

Emergency workers had to manipulate the wrecked truck before they could recover Craig's body, police reported.

"It was a pretty quick response. Paramedics and police arrived in a matter of minutes,Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs over brush replicauhren." Holmes said.

The investigation into the fatal accident is continuing.

Investigators are awaiting a toxicology report from the Maryland State Medical Examiner's Office in Baltimore, where Craig's autopsy was performed, he said.

It typically takes several weeks for toxicology report to be completed.

As part of the investigation, Maryland State Police investigators performed a reconstruction of the fatal accident, Holmes reported.