How do industrial companies use large research facilities for their R&D? PARK INNOVAARE is launching a survey

The large research facilities operated by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI enable a wide range of methods for materials analysis (solids, powder, crystals or proteins) down into the micro and nanometer range. The methods available for industrial corporations can significantly improve the R&D activities of many companies. To evaluate the current awareness level and the degree of utilization of these methods within the industry, PARK INNOVAARE and SLS Techno Trans AG are launching a survey. It addresses large corporations as well as SMEs from Switzerland and abroad.

The unique combination of large research facilities of the PSI includes the Swiss Light Source (SLS), the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ), the Swiss Muon Source (SμS) and very soon the Swiss Free Electron Laser (SwissFEL). Industrial companies can gain access to these facilities through the SLS Techno Trans AG, a company of the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI that coordinates all services for industrial or proprietary users.

Do companies use spectroscopy, diffraction, microscopy, tomography, lithography, calibration and other methods, and how often or how intensively? What are the specific research questions companies try to solve with advanced analytical methods provided by large research facilities? These are the issues we want to address in our study.

The survey aims to identify how companies use the institute’s large research facilities and to provide them with a better overview of its potential. The survey addresses companies of all sizes from Switzerland and abroad that are active in the automotive, construction, machinery, metal, chemical, pharmaceutical industries. The data will be collected until December 16, 2016.