2023 Webinars

“Innovate through methods in Industrial R&D” cycle

While some organizations develop research activities very close to basic research, most industries develop hybrid approaches, combining scientific approaches and empirical pragmatism.

In all cases, the concrete constraints and imperatives of industrial research – optimization of development times, budgeting of exploratory approaches, – make it necessary to find effective compromises between understanding approaches and actions.

The objective of this new 2023 series of free webinars is to share our analyzes of industrial research in the fields of material transformation and our ways to innovate effectively through methods. This series is aimed at both operational players and industrial R&D managers.

Program

Episode 1: Innovate through methods for effective R&D?

What is effective industrial R&D? Is it an R&D capable of rapidly developing new products that comply with the marketing brief, of making the stages of industrialization more reliable, of solving recurring problems in production or in application, to guide technical choices, process settings, to explore innovation options and to concretize technical concepts?

In this webinar, we will share our findings of the common practices of industrial organizations and their R&D in the material transformation sectors. We will try to show the systematic dimension of certain difficulties and the interest of methodological innovations, in particular through their transversal contributions to the various departments involved in technical questions.

Episode 1

Thursday January 19, 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 2: Changing the way we look at matter

Industrial R&D for the transformation of materials essentially works on states of complex materials, from liquid ingredients or in powders, to develop formulas with various textures and functionalities. Industrial practices show that the sensitivity of materials to the conditions of implementation is paradoxically often considered secondary, despite empirical evidence.

In this webinar, we will try to show how the general view of matter is the source of many confusions with unfortunate operational consequences. We will discuss some of the origins of such misunderstandings and show how in practice a change of perspective on matter and its behavior opens the way to better anticipation of the difficulties related to Industrial R&D activities and the various services related to these issues.

Episode 2

Thursday February 2, 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 3: The measure in question

Measurement is central to industrial technical activities, but often problematic. The use of quality standards in R&D procedures is thus a regular source of bias. On the other hand, advanced scientific techniques often pose difficulties in implementation or interpretation.

In this webinar, we will highlight various misconceptions surrounding measurement, its principles and results, and show the link with the difficulties encountered in practical implementation. We will present an analysis grid of instrumental techniques and detail the different points of vigilance to avoid counterproductive uses.

Episode 3

Thursday 9 March 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 4: Industrial R&D as an experimental approach

In processing industries, many R&D operations are essentially experimental, as evidenced by the irreducible art of formulation in product development or empirical trials of industrialization or application. While science obviously plays a role, other factors and imperatives, such as deadlines, costs, standards or procedures, come into play and condition this particular approach to concrete experimentation that is Industrial R&D.

In this webinar, we will expand on the implications of this experimental nature of industrial R&D. In particular, we will show how an adapted perception of critical points and zones opens up paths for scientific improvement and profound methodological innovation for organizations.

Episode 4

April 6, 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 5: Know-how and organizational learning at the technical level

Faced with turnover or retirements having a significant impact on the circulation of knowledge and know-how, Industrial R&D must find ways to develop and capitalize on a lasting knowledge of its own practices in order to be able to advance them and avoid the "we've always done it this way".

In this webinar, we will explore the articulation between know-how, procedures and technical means in Industrial R&D to suggest both diagnostic tracks and ways of improvement in a logic of organizational learning.

Episode 5

Thursday May 11, 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 6: Translating a concrete problem into an R&D study

It would be ideal if clear and simple methods made it possible to tackle all the concrete problems. Unfortunately, even the so-called scientific method must be adapted to the objects of investigation in order to bear fruit. Its application to concrete industrial problems poses other difficulties.

In this webinar, we go back to the basics of the methodological issues to be able to scientifically study a concrete industrial problem. We will show in particular how, for questions related to the transformation and application of materials, a combined consideration of physical phenomena and concrete action levers guides the steps of a fruitful industrial R&D.

Episode 6

Thursday June 8 2023

14h-15

_________________________

Episode 7: Building predictive methods

Industrial R&D is often limited by the difficulties encountered in anticipating the concrete behavior of products under development at the laboratory scale. Application tests such as pilot tests are all palliatives with various limitations, as are experimental design, numerical simulation, statistics or AI approaches.

In this webinar, we will analyze the causes of the limitations of the different approaches. We will outline the methodological principles for the development of suitable predictive methods, whether experimental or modeling, and the stages and challenges related to their construction and their effective implementation within an industrial R&D.

Episode 7

Thursday September 14 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 8: Developing specific experimental systems

The instrumental tools available to R&D departments vary greatly depending on the organization. Some actors have the means to address a wide variety of issues, while others are limited to the use of quality control tools for R&D purposes.

In this webinar, we will show that it may make sense to develop specific experimental systems for the study of certain questions. From the development of frugal test benches, adaptable experimental modules or instrumented pilot test benches, we will address the issues, advantages and difficulties associated with this type of approach.

Episode 8

Friday October 6, 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 9: Appropriate measurement data in industrial R&D

To hope to limit certain empirical approaches that are particularly detrimental to its objectives, Industrial R&D must be able to quantify certain characteristics of the behavior of its materials and products at different stages of their production or use. Unfortunately, not all quantified data is good to use.

In this webinar, we will address the issue of data, the famous Date, and the practical issues of data suitable issues and problems to be addressed. We will show that there are many biases, from the technical sheet to the measured data, and that a reflection on these questions makes it possible to make the entire product development chain more reliable.

Episode 9

Jeudi 9 Novembre 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Episode 10: Exploiting measurement data

Even when quantification biases are avoided, there are many situations where the measurement data produced is difficult to use. The interpretation of data, the search for descriptors, modeling, are all difficulties that require a good understanding of both the production of data and their scope of representativeness in order to use them wisely.

In this webinar, we will discuss the various difficulties related to the interpretation of data and in particular the recognition of artifacts. We will show that it is possible to envisage different levels of interpretation, making it possible to progress gradually in the exploitation of the data and to capitalize on the overall activity of R&D.

Episode 10

Thursday 7 December 2023

14am-15pm

_________________________

Last Updated on September 14, 2023 by Vincent Billot