| Question:
What are the typical steps for entering into a research contract? |
| I) Selection of a project
Your company identifies a R&D problem
that is difficult to solve. This problem should be one that needs
to be solved rather quickly in order to meet the urgent demands of your
business. |
| II) Feasibility Study
HDR investigates the R&D problem for
feasibility. The time, costs, human resources required, and other
technical and business constraints are considered in this study.
This process is usually completed within a few weeks, without charge,
under a non-disclosure agreement. |
| III) Submission of
contract Proposal
HDR submits a detailed proposal for a
research contract. This proposal will include objectives,
milestones, deadlines, well defined deliverables, and benefits to your
company. Also included will be the duration and total cost of the
project. <top> |
| Question:
What kind of project information will my company need to provide? |
| At times, a few experiments
will need to be performed by your company. In many cases, however,
existing experimental data, patents, and other available information
will be sufficient enough for HDR to find an optimal solution or recipe
for the technical problem in question. <top> |
| Question:
What is the typical duration for a research contract? |
| HDR typically accepts
projects ranging from 2 to 12 months. HDR seldom accepts projects
requiring a time period of longer than one year. For at least 6
months after the end of a project, HDR will provide free consulting
services for the project, whenever HDR's resources are available.<top> |
| Question:
Who is granted ownership of any new intellectual property. |
| HDR is seriously committed to
protecting your company's proprietary information. An agreement
will be reached by both parties, pertaining to this protection, prior to
the start of the project. Unless otherwise agreed upon, your
company will own any inventions produced by HDR for the project.<top> |
| Question:
How often will our companies interact during the project? |
| HDR will interact frequently
with your R&D staff during all phases of the project. Formal
oral presentations will also be made and written reports submitted ast
least once a month. Your company will always be well informed and constantly
involved in HDR's solution strategy, from the onset of the project until
the final implementation of the solution. HDR will provide a
solution that is both realistic and within the constraints imposed by
the technical limitations and business needs of your company.
HDR's staff will visit your company and assist your R&D staff to
ensure smooth implementation of HDR's solution or recipe.<top> |
| Question: How is it possible for HDR to serve such industries as diverse as food, cosmetics, and biomedical industries? |
| Industrial R&D problems in these industries have many common underlying characteristics. The solutions to these problems involve a deeper understanding of the physics of materials such as polymers, particles, powders, emulsions, surfactants, colloids, gels, polyelectrolytes, foams, adhesives, membranes, and process technologies such as coating, atomization, bubble formation, nucleation, crystallization, melting, drying, blending, separation processes, dispersion, grinding, flocculation, agglomeration, and the failure mechanisms of materials.<top> |
| Question: What seems to be a significant factor hindering progress in industrial R&D? |
| HDR believes that it is the lack of a deeper, more insightful understanding of the nature of R&D problems which slows down the progress in industrial R&D. Without this understanding, it is necessary to resort to very costly and time consuming trial-and-error experimentation. This unfortunate situation prevails in many industries including many high tech ones.Of course, gaining deep understanding of industrial problems is considered, by most, very difficult if not impossible. However, Dr. Young-Hwa Kim, founder and CEO of HDR, developed a system that combines both a unique form of theoretical physics analysis with the special teamwork of experienced Ph.D. theoretical physicists and other supporting scientists, such as chemists and biologists. With this strategy, the development of a deep insight and understanding into complex industrial problems becomes a reality.
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