Basic Research and Industrial Applications
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6 COMSATS’ Series of Publications on Science and Technology Basic Research and Industrial Applications Editors Dr. Hameed A. Khan Prof. Dr. M. M. Qurashi Engr. Tajammul Hussain Mr. Irfan Hayee July 2005 Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South COMSATS Headquarters 4th Floor, Shahrah-e-Jamhuriat, Sector G-5/2, Islamabad. Ph: (+92-51) 9214515-7, Fax: (+92-51) 9216539 URL: http://www.comsats.org.pk, email: [email protected] BASIC RESEARCH AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS Editors Dr. Hameed A. Khan Prof. Dr. M. M. Qurashi Engr. Tajammul Hussain Mr. Irfan Hayee Published: July 2005 Printed by: M/s A.R. Printers Copyright: COMSATS Headquarters No Part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic means, including photocopy, xerography, recording, or by use of any information storage. The only excerptions are small sections that may be incorporated into book-reviews. This book is published under the series title COMSATS’ Series of Publications on Science and Technology, and is number 6th of the series. Copies of the book may be ordered from : COMSATS Headquarters 4th floor, Shahrah-e-Jamhuriat Sector G-5/2, Islamabad, Pakistan email: [email protected] Website: www.comsats.org.pk Ph: (+92-51) 9214515-7, (+92-51) 9204892 Fax: (+92-51) 9216539 Price: US$ 10 or equivalent Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South ...The Government should make it mandatory for the industry to invest a part of its profits towards research, which is essential if the country’s industry is to gracefully survive the upcoming regime of WTO. ...The Technical community should also devise ways and means for selling their expertise to the industrialists. ...The introduction of ISO culture is another significant landmark that has ensured, for the industry, a discipline whereby a consistent quality- production is possible at a low cost. Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, N.I., H.I., S.I. Chairman, NESCOM (Excerpts from Dr. Samar Mubarakmand’s address at Islamabad on July 8, 2004) Basic Research and Industrial Applications TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD i SIGNIFICANCE OF BASIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR INDUSTRY 1. Basic Research: The Basis for New Technologies and the 01 Welfare of Society — Herwig Schopper 2. Why Basic Sciences are Necessary for Technology and Industry 13 — Riazuddin 3. Scientific and TechnologicalResearch: An Imperative for 19 Development — Hameed Ahmed Khan LINKAGES BETWEEN ACADEMIA, GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY 4. The Role of University-Industry Partnership in Enhancing 47 Basic Research and Industrial Applications In Pakistan — Zaffar M. Khan 5. Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable: 57 Cultivation of A Cooperative Research Alliance for Mitigation of Environmental Problems — Khalid Farooq Akbar 6. Bridging the Gap between Basic Sciences and Industrial 63 Applications: Human Resource Development at PAEC — Syed Arif Ahmad, Tariq Hayat, Amer Mahmood 7. Collaboration Between University and Industry for Basic and 75 Applied Research — Khalid Mahmood Khan COMMERCIALIZATION OF SCIENCE BASED TECHNOLOGIES 8. Commercialization of Technologies: Technology Business 79 Incubator (TBI) — Anwar-ul-Haq 9. Imperatives of Industrial Research 87 — Saquib Mohyuddin and Mohammad Khan 10. Initiatives of PCSIR Laboratories, Peshawar, for Technology- 99 Transfer Through Technology-Business Incubators — Jehangir Shah, Muhammad Tariq APPLICATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC BASIC RESEARCH IN SOME IMPORTANT FIELDS 11. Spectroscopic Optimization of Discharge-Parameters for 105 Surface Ionitriding of Stainless Steel 304 — M. Zakaullah, A. Qayyum and A. Waheed 12. Basic Research and Large-Scale Production of 119 Radio-pharmaceuticals — M. Jehangir And A. Mushtaq 13. R&D and Production of Nuclear Instruments in PINSTECH 135 and their Applications — M. TahirKhaleeq 14. Investigation of Air-Gasification Process with a Bubbling 141 Fluidised Bed Gasifier for Electricity Generation — R. Avella, G. Braccio, P.Marzetti, D. Matera and V.K.Sharma 15.13 C Urea Breath-TestResearch and FacilityEstablished 149 at PAEC: Challenges and Opportunities — Rakhshanda Bilal, TanvirAhmad, Sadia Yousuf, Zahid Latif and Nasir A. Zaidi RECOMMENDATIONS 161 INDEX Author Index 163 Subject Index 165 FOREWORD In an era where the standards and parameters for socio-economic development and prosperity are being dynamically shaped, continued scientific research is perhaps the only constant that lies at the heart of sustainable development and progress. Scientific research is the cardinal tool for human-beings to know and make use of nature. Its various types help play a distinct, yet overlapping role in the continuous uplift and betterment of mankind and its livelihood. In this context, the leading role of basic research, is momentous in creating new knowledge and providing scientific capital. Basic or pure research is the extension of scientific and technical knowledge, not having any industrial and commercial intentions; it is the attempt of a researcher to access the frontiers of knowledge for the sake of knowledge alone. Nevertheless, it is the knowledge that basic research creates, which provides the intellectual material for formulating the applications that we today call technology. Without doubt, basic research lies at the heart of nearly every major discovery, known to us today. It is no secret today that basic research, whether performed in scientific laboratories, R&D institutes, universities or within industry itself, has been critical in promoting nearly all sciences whether basic or applied. The knowledge-domains of physics, chemistry and other subjects are undergoing a metamorphosis, reflecting the dominance of inter-disciplinary unification, with the borders between the traditional research-areas being eroded and the continual merging of basic research and industrial applications. The inter-locking of basic discovery and technological innovation has today led to the emergence of chemical, engineering, electronics and transportation industries, as well as the many industrial uses of nuclear radiations, besides others. Today, it is even more true than ever that basic research is the pacemaker of technological progress. Therefore, it must not be taken as a peripheral activity, but should be given due support in order to strengthen the industrial base for achieving development andprogress especially in the developing countries. To highlight the integral link between basic research and related industrial uses, COMSATS organized a meeting on “Basic Research and Industrial Applications” from 06 to 08 July, 2004, in collaboration with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Islamic, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). It further aimed at ascertaining the importance of basic research as one of the pre-requisites for innovation, which is essential for companies and nations, to remain competitive in the global village of today. There were a total of 33 speakers in the meeting who made presentations in 7 Technical Sessions, of these 5 were foreign experts representing the countries of Switzerland, i United Kingdom and China. Other participants included eminent researchers, heads of S&T institutions, scholars, students and representatives from some major industrial concerns. The proceedings of the meeting presented here comprise a selection of papers and the recommendations, at the end, which emerged during the conference. I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Sixiong Zhao, Executive Director, International Centre for Climate and Environment Sciences (ICCES), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and to Dr. Faiq Billal, Director, Islamic, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), for their sincere cooperation and support in organizing this meeting. I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Dr. M. M. Qurashi, Mr. Irfan Hayee, Ms. Zainab H. Siddiqui, Mr. Imran Chaudhryand Ms. Nagina Safdar from COMSATS, whose dedication made possible the publication of this book. (Dr. Hameed Ahmed Khan, H.I., S.I.) Executive Director ii BASIC RESEARCH: THE BASIS FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND THE WELFARE OF SOCIETY Herwig Schopper President, SESAME Council, Geneva - Switzerland ABSTRACT Humanity is faced with great challenges, e.g. increasing population, globalisation, and sustainable environment. In order to cope with them a larger effort has to be made in developing science and technology, including fundamental science. Developing countries will have to make a large jump since otherwise the gap between industrialised and developing countries will widen instead of closing. For this purpose international cooperation will be essential, but scientific facilities will also have to be created in threshold countries. The European laboratory CERN at Geneva and the international centre SESAME in Jordan will be discussed as examples. 1. THE GREAT CHALLENGE The world is confronted with the following major challenges: ! Growth of the world population up to 10 – 12 billion within the next 20 years; ! Globalisation of markets and worldwide competition; ! Industrialized societies are under rapid changes; employment in agriculture, as well as in industrial production is declining, but increasing for services and informatics (Figure-1); ! Impressive economic growth in the Far East; this region will become a major market, but also an important competitor (Figure-2); ! Urgent increase ofneeds in developing (but some even in industrialised) countries, e.g. hunger, water, environmental