ICI scientist to head Royal Society of Chemistry Industry and Technology Forum

Citation

(2003), "ICI scientist to head Royal Society of Chemistry Industry and Technology Forum", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 32 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2003.12932fab.033

ICI scientist to head Royal Society of Chemistry Industry and Technology Forum

ICI scientist to head Royal Society of Chemistry Industry and Technology Forum

ICI scientist David Bott (Plate 2) has been elected President of the Industry and Technology Forum (ITF) of the Royal Society of Chemistry. This 2 year appointment is the second stage of a maximum 6 year commitment by David, who has already served 2 years as vice-president of the Forum.

Plate 2 ICI scientist David Bott

David has more than 25 years' experience in applied chemistry. He is a Director of Group Technology and works in support of the ICI Technology Board – the company's most senior group of scientists. He has been a polymer scientist with National Starch and Chemical Company, a member of the ICI Group, and with the former ICI Acrylics, currently Lucite International. Before joining ICI in 1995, he was a scientist with BP and Courtaulds. He received his undergraduate degree in Polymer Science from Sussex University and his PhD in "The role of hindered phenolic antioxidants in the autoxidation of polypropylene", also from Sussex University as a CASE award with ICI's Plastics Division.

In his voluntary RSC role, he will represent the interests of the Industry and Technology Forum members, some 14,500 chemical scientists. About 12,500 are UK-based, 500 are in the USA and the remaining 1,500 are spread across the world. The RSC membership totals more than 45,000 worldwide.

Currently, the Industry and Technology Forum supports the development of industrial chemists by organising seminars, sharing information about both science and good business practices, as well as supporting RSC awards and recognition for outstanding achievement and innovation in chemistry in industry.

David has plans to build on that.

"Three years ago I did not know that the ITF, then the Industrial Affairs Division existed, let alone what it did. The Executive committee, which works with RSC staff to decide priorities and allocate resources, consists mainly of senior or retired people from the traditional chemical industries", he said. "With all the change going on in the UK chemistry industry, we need to find out what today's new graduates and younger workers require from the RSC. I know we all are busy with our companies and careers, but I think there are two important areas where a higher profile for the RSC and for the member industrial chemical scientists, themselves, is urgently needed: first, we need to provide further professional development that is right for today's careers – especially of young scientists; and second, we must win the hearts and minds of the public so that they recognise and support the enormous contribution of science to our everyday lives".

"I hope that with the help of the RSC Industry and Technology Forum Executive and staff, we can galvanise our industrial group. We need to start by communicating better: by asking the members what they need for their career development, understanding the challenge of gaining greater public awareness and support, articulating and sharing clear objectives, and then taking action. It will be up to the members to decide if we are meeting the objectives we will communicate, but I hope that I can contribute to making the Industry and Technology Forum a more dynamic, youthful and widely engaging organisation".