European Industrial Research Management Association.

European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA)

"In 1965, the OECD hosted the European/North American Conference on Research Management. Professor Hendrik Casimir, a member of the Board of Management of Philips, chaired the conference. At the time, Dr Alexander King] was Director General for Scientific Affairs at the OECD.

"The conference organisers focussed on the need to discuss 'only those problems which concern both top management and research, which can give rise to conflicts and disagreement between these two focal points in the administrative hierarchy of the firm.' It concluded with a recommendation to form a European body devoted to industrial research management, similar to the Industrial Research Institute. King and the OECD lent their support to this recommendation. Casimir and King jointly contacted all large firms in Europe, inviting them to join the new association. (You can read their letter here.)

"The following year, EIRMA was born as an independent not-for-profit organisation with 32 members, Professor Casimir as founding President, and an OECD secondee, Owen Etoe, as Secretary-Treasurer. Casimir's personal contribution in establishing a strong Association was considerable. When he stepped down as President four years later, EIRMA had almost 100 members represented by the senior officers responsible for R&D within these companies, and an active and successful programme of activities. Owen Etoe left the secretariat, replaced by Klaus Standke, also from the OECD. The number of members continued to grow, before settling down around 150 by 1975."

Presidents of EIRMA
Accessed August 2008:


 * 1966-1970 Hendrik B.G. Casimir (Philips)
 * 1970-1973 W.J. (Bill) Arrol (Lucas)
 * 1973-1975 B. Delapalme (Elf Aquitaine)
 * 1975-1977 J. Rutschmann (Sandoz)
 * 1977-1979 U. Colombo (Montedison)
 * 1979-1981 D.S. Oliver (Pilkington)
 * 1981-1983 B. Schmidt (Dornier)
 * 1983-1985 Harry Beckers (Shell)
 * 1985-1987 J.-P. Causse (Saint-Gobain)
 * 1987-1989 H.J. Heller (Ciba-Geigy)
 * 1989-1991 R. Junnila (Neste)
 * 1991-1993 Eric Spitz (Thomson)
 * 1993-1995 Jens Rostrup-Nielsen (Haldor Topsøe)
 * 1995-1997 S. Barabaschi (Finmeccanica)
 * 1997-1999 Pierre Castillon (Elf Aquitaine)
 * 1999-2001 Guy Haemers (Bekaert)
 * 2001-2003 Lars-Goran Rosengren (Volvo)
 * 2003-2005 J.H. (Hans) de Wit (TNO)
 * 2005-2007 Walter Steinlin (Swisscom)
 * 2007-2009 Leif Kjaergaard (Danisco)

Contact

 * Web: http://www.eirma.org