IEE Control & Automation Division: Chairman´s address. Industrial innovation and the interdisciplinary approach

In the present state of the British economy, industrial innovation, although not easy, is necessary, and the paper draws attention to some of the factors which make for success in this field. Various types of change are reviewed, and the process of innovation discussed generally; it is suggested that three particular stages are crucial, namely the creation of the original idea, the capture and selection of worthwhile possibilities at the predevelopment stage, and the conversion of complete developments into successful commercial ventures. As an illustrative example, one of the early applications of large-scale digital solid-state systems to industrial control is described, and some conclusions are drawn about the climate and structure which help such innovation to succeed. Given a suitable structure, it is suggested that it is also necessary that the people involved should find it easy to work together in interdisciplinary teams, and one new way of training graduate engineers (total technology) with this in mind is outlined.