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Initiatives of Interest to Industry
The formation of IUPAC in 1919 occurred with the strong, in fact essential,
support of the chemical industry in Europe. The name of the Union emphasises
its connection to "applied" chemistry, and over the years many chemists
in industry have made major contributions to IUPAC's work. Nevertheless,
much of IUPAC's output has often been viewed as of only marginal relevance
to industry.
"What use is IUPAC to industry?" is a question which is often asked
and it is perhaps relevant to remind ourselves of some of the basics.
It is certainly true, that without the work of IUPAC, industry would
find it impossible to carry on its business. No International Atomic
Weights, various other validated data, internationally agreed nomenclature,
and, in many cases, standard methodology. IUPAC has over the past few
years published special issues of its journal
Pure and Applied Chemistry devoted to high profile
topics being debated in public forums. The two that were published before
1999 covered Chlorine
and Environmental
Oestrogens. A special issue on Sustainable Chemistry is planned
for publication in 2000. These special issues have been published through
the efforts of the IUPAC Committee on Chemistry and Industry (COCI).
Membership in COCI is open to representatives of all Company Associates.
You are encouraged to participate in the work of this group. If you
are interested in learning more about the work of COCI please visit
the IUPAC web site <http://www.iupac.org> or write to the IUPAC
Secretariat <e-mail: [email protected]>.
During the last four years IUPAC has initiated significant changes
in its long-range goals, its structure, and its management of scientific
work, all of which will facilitate closer relations with the chemical
industry. For example:
- The IUPAC Strategic Plan,
1998-99, already distributed to all Company
Associates, articulates a specific goal: IUPAC will assist chemistry
related industry in its contributions to sustainable development, wealth
creation and improvement in the quality of life.
- Modifications in the structure and operation of the Union's scientific
work, given final approval by the IUPAC Council in August 1999, will
make IUPAC more responsive to the increasingly interdisciplinary character
of chemistry and related sciences. The project-based
system will ensure faster response, more rapid completion of projects
and broader dissemination of IUPAC's recommendations. IUPAC is now actively
seeking proposals for suitable projects from the worldwide community
of chemists and the chemical industry.
- The biennial Critical Assessment of IUPAC
Activities by the current Vice President, Dr. Alan Hayes, highlighted
ways in which IUPAC can better serve industrial needs, and during his
Presidency (beginning January 1, 2000), Dr. Hayes will continue to interact
closely with leaders of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and,
especially, of their international trade associations.
A number of recent IUPAC activities and publications are of particular
relevance to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. For example:
- "Drug Metabolism:
Databases and High-Throughput Testing during Drug Design and Development"
(an IUPAC book published in 1999) brings together information on the
use of metabolism databases in drug design, metabolism data acquisition
methodologies, and on new equipment.
- "Oil-spill
Countermeasure Technologies and Response Methods", a special issue
of the IUPAC journal Pure and Applied Chemistry, appeared in
January 1999. This review contains 16 chapters, covering the full range
of related technologies from booms and dispersants, to bioremediation.
Special topics, such as countermeasures for ice covered waters and "How
clean is clean" are also covered.
- The IUPAC Workshop on Advanced
Materials: Nanostructured Systems (July 1999, Hong Kong) brought
together a small number of leading scientists to discuss recent developments
and future directions in this new field at the frontiers of chemistry.
- The IUPAC-sponsored International Measurement Evaluation Programmes
(each with more than 200 participants from laboratories worldwide) uses
realistic matrices for the evaluation of the ability of specified analytical
methods to measure trace elements. "Trace
Elements in Natural Water" and "Trace
Elements in Human Serum" were published at the end of 1998. Other
projects in this series are in progress: "Trace
Elements in Plastics", "Metals
in Automobile Catalysts".
- IUPAC's critically evaluated data, especially in thermodynamics, kinetics
and transport phenomena, include many tabulations of potential industrial
importance. For example, the following reports were published in Pure
and Applied Chemistry and elsewhere during 1999:
For information on purchasing any of the special issues of Pure
and Applied Chemistry or books mentioned above, please contact
the IUPAC Secretariat. A complete calendar of IUPAC sponsored symposia
appears in each issue of Chemistry
International and is available on the IUPAC
web site <www.iupac.org>.
[15 October 1999]
John W. Jost
IUPAC Excecutive Director
Page last modified 15 October 1999.
Copyright ©1999 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
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