Industrial Research 



209 



Its functions are manifold. It seeks to eliminate 

 injurious industrial competition throu!j;h research, 

 equipment, and personnel. The montldy research 

 programs of aU mdustrial, miiversity, and Government 

 research laboratories, which are required by the State, 

 are reviewed by the council for the elimination of un- 

 necessary duplication and the assignment of specific 

 problems to appropriate laboratories. It compiles and 

 disseminates technical and scientific bibliograpliies so 

 that the work of Italian scientists may become better 

 known abroad, and studies means for develoi)ment and 

 application in Italy of inventions made in foreign 

 lands. 



Government 



The Ministry of Corporations performs duties similar 

 to but with authority extending far beyond those of 

 our Departments of Commerce and Labor. Close 

 cooperation is maintained with industry through 

 individuals and committees on problems of production, 

 labor relations, and improvements of processes and 

 products. 



The Pontifical Academy of Sciences 



The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, an international 

 organization, was organized in 1937. In its first year 

 of existence an inquiry was instituted among members 

 to determine what its most useful fmiction would be. 

 Replies indicated that the academy should not restrict 

 its activities to publications of individual scientific 

 communications but should take advantage of the 

 freedom of action guaranteed by its scientific inde- 

 pendence of race or creed to strengthen the bonds 

 between the various sciences. 



Universities 



Research in Italian universities was formerly devoted 

 principally to fundamental research and hence did not 

 result in training men entirely suitable for industry. 

 In recent years the industrial progress produced by the 

 self-sufficiency program has caused the scientific and 

 technical schools to concentrate their efforts on training 

 men better qualified to meet the enlarged demands of 

 the industries. This change has had a noticeable effect 

 on the type of research being carried out at the uni- 

 versities, most of which is now in connection with 

 industries. 



The Government has given financial support to 

 research in universities, five having received grants for 

 industrial research in 1939. Examples of typical ap- 

 plied research in some universities are: At the Poly- 

 technic Institute of Milan, a new process for production 



of water gas by the reaction of steam on oil gas, and 

 utilization of lignites; at the Institute of Electro- 

 chemistry, investigation of the electrochemical recovery 

 and extraction of copper, nickel, and tin; at the Uni- 

 versity of Milan, work on volcanic gas; at Turin Uni- 

 versity, a number of specific organic chemical projects; 

 at Padua University, preparation of iron oxides and 

 mineral colors; at the University of Naples, develop- 

 ment of alpha cellulose from Italian raw materials; at 

 the University of Rome, problems of high-pressure 

 synthesis. 



Publications and Societies 



Excellent scientific and technical journals are pub- 

 lished in Italy. In the chemical field Gazzetta Chimica 

 Italiana and Giornale di Chimica Industriale ed 

 Applicata, and in biology Giornale di Biologia In- 

 dustriale, Agraria, ed Alimentare have presented many 

 fine contributions. Likewise the scientific and tech- 

 nical societies, as for example the Italian Chemical 

 Society and the Society of Applied Science, have made 

 substantial contributions to the advancement of the 

 several disciplines in both fundamental and applied 

 fields. 



Industry 



The growth of nationalism in the development of the 

 self-sufliciency program had as its goal the restriction 

 of trade among the nations of Europe. The capacity 

 for the manufacture of chemicals and other products 

 required in Evu'ope was more than sufficient to supply 

 normal demands. Nationalism required that Italy, as 

 well as other nations not normally industrial, develop 

 complete chemical industries within their borders. 

 This necessitated use of facilities, resources, and trained 

 personnel for the development of the necessary tech- 

 niques which were well established in other countries. 

 In trying to accomplish in a short time the efficient 

 results achieved by gradual development in other 

 countries, processes were developed which were not 

 always economically sound. In diverting trained per- 

 sonnel to this type of work very little real research in 

 new fields has been carried out. 



In 1934 an Italian professor estimated that there 

 were about 60 industrial research laboratories in the 

 northern Italian industrial area and 200 in the entire 

 country. Like all projects for new manufacturing 

 plants, new industrial research laboratories must be 

 approved by the National Research Council. 



The Montecantini Company, by far the largest 

 chemical manufacturer in Italy, maintains one of the 

 largest if not the largest research staff in the country. 

 In accordance with Fascist policy of self-sufficiency, 

 most of its research is in applied fields, and in the past 



