R&D system

R&D system is a scientific and technological activities in which R is the Research activities (including basic research and applied research) and D is the Development activities.

In the book of Professor Vu Cao Dam, The methodology of scientific research, in 2010, he introduced on the function of the activities in R&D system as follows:

Basic research: the research is to discover the properties, structures and movement of things. Results of basic research can be explored, discovered, invented, leading to formation of a new theoretical system.

Applied research: is the application of rules detected from basic research to explain a thing or creating new principles of the solution.

Development (experimental development) is to apply the theories to make prototypes and production technology with the technical feasibility parameters. Development activities are including 3 steps:

- Creating prototypes: the experimental step to create the prototypes.

- Create process (also called period of "pilot"), a period of searching and testing technology to produce the prototypes has succeeded in the first step.

- Make a small series of experiments: also known as "serial 0". This is the step to verify the reliability of small-scale processes.

Thus, in the R&D system, the activities are divided according to function and each offers its own product research. Participating in the activities of R&D system can be research institutions, universities and enterprises. Every organization in R&D system, with the advantage of tradition or their resources, tends to focus on one activity in that system. For example, we can see that the university is consistent with activities in basic research, research institutes, in line with research activities and applications for enterprise R & D, consistent with their development activities. However, it does not mean that every organization while participate in the activities of R&D selected only an activity which they have strengths. We can see that at universities or at institutes where research activities are the mainly work, still have many projects to develop technological lines with financial support from businesses. Conversely,  there were many businesses have been building the research labs which are full of conditions and facilities to invite scientists be there to carry out basic research activities as well as applied research.

The relationship

Activities in R&D system is always in close relationship with each other. First, in the relationship between basic research and applied research, we can see applied research based on the results of basic research to perform their activities, while basic research need of the results of applied research to supplement information on the new things were found previously.

Between applied research and development also have close relationships. Through the intermediate step that is applied research, development activity concretize the new research results of basic research into the prototype, to create commercial products for social life. Conversely, the feedback from the results of deployment operations research can help to regulate the result of applied research to make it complete.

For the relationship between basic research and development activities, we can see it through the fact that the deployment activities always need new ideas of basic research to make new products to meet the increasing needs of society. Meanwhile, basic research (in the context of science is increasingly linked to society) always need feedback from development to identify the orientation for research activities.

Conclusions

Understanding of R&D system is very important for policy makers on science and technology. This helps them get a correct perception about the activities in the R&D system as well as the discrimination of different objects in this system, thereby making the appropriate policy on science and technology, to promote the role of each organization participating in scientific and technological activities and effectively use the social resources for science and technology activities.

Truong Chi