The World Scientific Market and Bulgarian Scientists
Dechko Pavlov
Abstract
As a rule, big companies and corporations do not have sufficient research personnel with adequate theoretical background to ensure progressive development of their production process. They tend to look for external scientific organizations to solve problems related to their technology and manufacturing practices. Thus a world scientific market is established, which is rich and highly competitive, and it triggers the world progress. On this market, the knowledge acquired by a given research organization is a commodity offered for sale. The world scientific market functions on the principle knowledge-money-knowledge-money. It utilizes the intellectual potential of the whole planet and its basic concern is to find a rational solution to a given problem, no matter in which country this will happen.
The world scientific market follows a spiral development. If a project proposal approved for funding is successful, it opens the way for other proposals and the contracting researcher or research organization goes up the spiral. If, however, a project or two fail to achieve their goals, the respective research organization goes down the spiral and is eventually thrown out of the market. The world scientific market is ruthless and bears no compromise. The speed of movement up or down the spiral depends on the economic situation on a worldwide basis. In times of economic upsurge, the spiral movement upwards enthralls many research organizations. In times of crises, the movement is slowed down and a number of research organizations drop off.
The
present paper communicates data about the influence of the world scientific
market on the research output of the Lead-Acid Batteries Department (LABD) at
the