The Dutch Research Council (NWO) research funding agency has a special domain for Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES) that promotes collaboration between scientists and companies with grants totalling tens of millions. Such projects are important for technological innovation, says sociologist Willem Halffman. But he also warns about the often-overblown promises of tech companies, such as the jubilation at the end of the 1990s about the internet which ended in the bursting of the dot-com bubble.
Halffman now sees the same overblown promises emerging in applied sciences such as pharmacy or nanotechnology. He is currently leading an EU research project that is studying the latter field. “The promise of this applied science is that we will soon be able to deliver cancer drugs directly into cancer cells based on this technology. But critics in the field of nanotechnology point out that we are still a long way from this goal because we can barely penetrate a cell membrane, let alone find the right cell.”
Unforeseen discoveries
In addition to the overwrought promises, Halffman cites another objection to the emphasis on technological innovation. “The dominance of business logic ignores the logic of science that research is a trial-and-error process often leading to wonderful, unforeseen discoveries.” A well-known example is the transistor, which is indispensable for computers. It emerged accidentally from fundamental research into the properties of semiconductor materials.
In agriculture as well, many beautiful discoveries that create opportunities for alternative farming lie hidden from applied research. “For example, you can create such opportunities by enhancing fundamental understanding of soil ecology. But it is much more difficult to acquire funding for that type of research than for applied technology to increase production, such research involving greenhouses and synthetic substrates.”
When it comes to sustainability, people quickly think of technical solutions, such as solar panels, LED lighting or wind turbines. But a sustainable world also requires attention to socio-economic processes, says Halffman, especially if these are at odds with sustainability. “Consider the negative environmental impact of free trade due to the enormous increase in international trade and diesel-powered shipping which generates severe pollution. If you want more sustainability, you also have to pay attention to these kinds of processes.”
TIP: Read more about other cultures
“Reading expands your world. That goes against the current trend of further specialisation: reading enables you look beyond the limits of your own world. I like to read science history books about other cultures such as China. Reading about histories like these also leads to more modesty about our western knowledge.”
Willem Halffman trained in Political and Social Sciences and Sociology in Antwerp, Brussels and New York (1984 – 1991). He obtained his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 1994. He has worked at Radboud University since 2010 and at the Institute of Science and Innovation Studies (ISIS) since 2017.
Photo: Dick van Aalst