21. GENERAL DISCUSSION AND QUESTION AND ANSWER 

 PERIOD RELATING TO ALL TOPICS 



Donald L. McKernan, Chairman, and Panel -' 



DR. GEORGE M. BRYAN (Genisco, Inc.): A great deal has been 

 said about the need for Industry's cooperation in the National 

 Oceanographic Progrann. Would someone care to comment upon 

 the incentives offered to Industry to develop instruments for a 

 market which is as thin as this Symposium has led us to believe? 

 Even if engineering costs are sustained by a governmental agency, 

 the most precious commodity expended by a company in a develop- 

 mental program is time, and that is not refundable. 



THE CHAIRMAN: This is a serious problem which both Govern- 

 ment and Industry are going to have to consider. It may be that 

 some companies, after thoroughly understanding the possibilities, 

 may decide that they cannot afford to go into this particular pro- 

 gram. From personal discussions I have had with some of you, 

 however, I feel that your present developmental and manufactur- 

 ing program is quite similar to what is required, and that per- 

 haps for some of you it will not be quite the problem that it will 

 be for others who are about to enter or are considering entering 

 the field of oceanographic instrumentation. 



I can only repeat what I said yesterday -- perhaps a little 

 more clearly -- that I believe the Government is prepared to 

 enter into financing and funding a certain amount of development 

 for oceanographic instrumentation. Part of the Government's 

 problem in deciding to what extent it will contribute is the fact 

 that many of us do not know to what extent governmental fund- 

 ing is required. For example, I understand a great many com- 

 panies are very close to manufacturing certain oceanographic 

 instruments. In this case, no great extra effort is required to 

 alter their developmental and manufacturing programs. 



On the other hand, if great sacrifices and a great deal of 

 time and thought are required to improve other aspects of 

 oceanographic instrumentation, then Government will have to 

 pay for or share a greater proportion of these developmental 

 costs. 



^The addresses of panel members eind of those asking que stions 

 may be found in the List of Attendees . (See appendix D. ) 



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