"HK" wrote in message
...

Eisboch wrote:
Has anyone else heard of this? I found it to be very interesting,
especially the last comment made by the speaker:

http://cc.pubco.net/www.valcent.net/...gro/index.html

Eisboch


I read a piece earlier this year in the Washington Post that seemed very
similar. I think the technique is called algaculture. If it is really
viable, I'd like to see it developed and brought to market in public
universities via federal and state funding, with the people owning the
patents and technologies.


I have quite a bit of experience working with universities on federally and
state funded research projects and/or major programs. Although it can be a
viable way to develop technology, the academia culture that exists in the
universities does not lend itself to efficiently getting the job done.

Additionally, (and unfortunately) grants or research project funding are
often milked to the hilt because it justifies jobs. Budgets and schedules
are established to maximize the duration of the program rather than to find
the most expedient course to satisfy the project's goals.

In order to get the job done more efficiently and quickly, the carrot of
*profits* has to be introduced. Usually a university is not permitted to
show a profit on a federally funded program, so that's where a corporation,
public or private has the incentive.

Having also participated in major government funded programs managed and run
by large corporations (TRW, Raytheon, Boeing, etc.), I can clearly see the
difference in management attitudes when compared to university run programs.

I've also had the experience of hiring a person from the world of academia
to manage and run a key department within a small business. He has gobs of
talent and knowledge, but simply could not adjust to the concept of a fixed
price contract and a meaningful schedule. It was often a disastrous
experience.

I can think of a couple of major programs however, that were run and managed
by industry, but had specific components of the project researched or
developed by universities. These projects were much more successful in
terms of meeting schedules and within budgets than those managed solely by a
university.

Eisboch