| Abstract: | A particularly close relationship exists between chemistry, the science of the transformation of matter, and developments in human living conditions. Though little more than 150 years old, chemical technology has had a greater influence on our civilization than any other technological discipline. Its roots lie not in the crafts, but in scientific research. Relationships derived from the laws of nature were taken as a basis for the systematic solution of practical problems. It is to this strategy that chemistry owes its success. New opportunities arise from new discoveries. These result from basic research at universities, research institutes, and industrial laboratories. Applied research in turn transforms the discoveries into innovative solutions to problems on an industrial scale. The objectives of applied research are oriented toward the marketplace and to the needs of mankind. Our knowledge of scientific interrelationships has been growing with unabated vigor for decades, but so too has our insight into the enormous complexity of the material world. Many of the problems that civilization faces result from the fact that our knowledge is still inadequate. Intensive research and development offer the only hope for progress. Scientists must of course act responsibly with the knowledge they acquire, and they must provide the information necessary to establish public confidence in their methods and products. This is the prerequisite for broad acceptance of technological progress, and given the extent of the world's population no alternative to progress exists. The shape of that progress is also subject to influences outside the realm of science, however, including social norms and political activities. A country that is not rich in raw materials, like the Federal Republic of Germany, must pay particular attention to these factors as well if it is to maintain its innovative strength. |
