Battelle Memorial Institute, the world's largest independent research organization, seeks to expand its presence in China. The CEO of Battelle, Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, was interviewed. Battelle employs 22,000 researchers across 130 cities with an annual research budget of $6.5 billion. It focuses on translating science and technology into productivity. Most of Battelle's revenue comes from managing national laboratories for the US government. While interested in the Chinese market, Wadsworth remained silent on US restrictions regarding technology exports and sharing with China.
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Chinese Report on Battelle
1. 全球最大独立研究机构谋求在中国更广泛存在
作者 早报记者 刘莉 发表于 2012-05-04 01:11
Battelle - world's largest research institute wants to increase its presence in China
By Liu li, Published May 4, 2012, Oriental Morning Post
专访美国巴特尔纪念研究所首席执行长沃兹沃思。
An interview with Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, the CEO of Battelle Memorial institute
Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, the CEO of Battelle Memorial institute
2. The Battelle Memorial institute of Columbus
总部设在美国俄亥俄州哥伦布市的巴特尔纪念研究所(Battelle Memorial Institute)是世界上最大的
独立研究机构,在全球范围内的 130 个城市共雇用了 22000 名科学家和研究人员,每年支配着高达 65 亿
美元的研发经费。巴特尔纪念研究所一直是“科学技术转化成生产力”、“专利转化为生产力”运动的实践者和
领导者,被誉为“让‘沉睡’在学术刊物上的研究成果‘站立’起来,成为实际运用的东西”。
The Battelle Memorial institute of Columbus, the largest independent research institute in the world,
employs 22000 researchers and scientists in 130 cities all over the world, with research funds of more than
6.5 billion dollars per year. Battelle Memorial Institute is always the practitioner and leader of the “science
and technology transformed into productivity” and “patent transformed into productivity”campaign, which
is known for “make the sleepy research results in academic journals wake up to be used in practice”.
科研成果和商业运作之间的鸿沟一直困扰着俄亥俄州钢铁实业家戈登·巴特尔(Gordon Battelle) 1923
。
年,戈登·巴特尔 40 岁之时英年早逝,其遗愿是将财产的大部分设立一个旨在“鼓励和促进煤、钢、铁、锌
等材料冶炼技术研究和创新,并连接科研成果和实际生产”的研究机构。以戈登·巴特尔的 160 万美元遗产
3. 作为启动资金,1929 年巴特尔纪念研究所在哥伦布市成立。研究所成立之初的重要研究领域便是金属冶炼
和材料科学。
Gordon Battelle, a steel business man in Ohio State, was always puzzled by the wide gap betweenresearch
results and its application into business. Gordon Battelle was dead in 1923 when he was just 40, with a will that
most of his property should be used to set up a research institute aiming at “encouraging and promoting
research and innovation in metallurgy technology of coal, steel, iron, zinc and other materials, and also
connecting research results and practical production”. In 1929, Battelle Memorial institute was set up in
Columbus, whose initial capital was Battelle’s heritage of 1.6 million dollars. At beginning, the institution focus
its research on areas like metallurgy and material science.
80 多年间,巴特尔纪念研究所领导的技术革新,以及科研的商业化生产,不断改变着世界各地人们的
生活。比如去头屑洗发水、修正液、商品通用条形码、光盘技术、太阳能膜板等。而最好的例子莫过于被
称为办公革命里程碑的静电成像技术(Xerography)的研发和商业生产。
During more than 80 years, Battelle Memorial Institution keeps changing people’s life all over the world by
its technological innovation and commercialization of research results, such as dandruff control shampoo,
correction fluid, bar code, CD technology, solar energy board and so on. Anyway, the best example must be the
research and production of Xerography, which is called the office revolution.
查斯特·卡尔逊(Chester Carlson)是纽约的一个专利事务所律师和业余发明家。1938 年他在自己的简
易实验室中制造出了第一台静电复印机。他用了好几年的时间,试图出售这个发明专利,但包括 IBM 和通
用电器在内的 20 多家公司都对此不感兴趣。因为当时他们认为笨重的复印机无法在碳素复写纸为绝对主
流的市场上占有一席之地。直到 1944 年,巴特尔纪念研究所慧眼识英雄,和卡尔逊签订了合同,资助他
改进这项发明。1948 年,以生产相纸起家的哈罗依德公司(Haloid Corporation)购买了开发并销售复印机
的专利许可,并以“施乐”(Xerox)作为商标向市场推出第一款的产物。哈罗依德公司,也就是后来的施乐
公司最终获得了卡尔逊这项发明的全部专利权。
Chester Carlson is a lawyer of a patent firm and also an amateur inventor. In 1938, he invented the first
Xerography printer in the world in his simple lab. And he spent several years trying to sell this invention patent
just to find more than 20 companies, including IBM and GE, showed no interest in it. All of them thought that
4. this heavy machine couldn’t hold seats in the market of carbon paper. Until 1944, Battelle Memorial Institute
signed a contract with Carlson to fund him improve this invention. In 1948, Haloid Corporation, building up from
producing photographic paper, purchased the patent of this xerography and used the brand “Xerox”.
5. 巴特尔纪念研究所是以科学、教育和慈善为目的设立的非营利性机构,在美国国内享受免税待遇。“确
切地说,我们是商业化运营的公司,只是享受免税待遇。”巴特尔纪念研究所首席执行长(CEO)杰弗里·沃
兹沃思(Jeffrey Wadsworth)博士概括地说。
Battelle Memorial Institution is founded for science, education and charity. It is a non-profit institution and is
exempt from taxation. “Precisely, our company is commercialized and is exempt from taxation,” said by Jeffrey
Wadsworth, the CEO of Battelle.
巴特尔纪念研究所每年利润的 20%用于回馈社会,主要资助项目所在地的科学教育。在总部哥伦布市
有巴特尔资助的高中、儿童医疗研究中心,有以其命名的会展中心、动物园和水族馆特展等。虽然巴特尔
的足迹无处不在,即便是地道的哥伦布当地市民,如果不是雇员,也很少有人说得清楚巴特尔具体是做什
么的。沃兹沃思曾多次开玩笑表示,作为 CEO 的他,主要职责就是向大家解释巴特尔纪念研究所到底是做
什么的。
20% of Battelle’s profit per year is used to feedback society, mainly used to fund local scientific education.
There are high schools, children medical centers funded by Battelle, and also exhibition centers, zoos, and
aquariums named after Battelle. Battelle is everywhere in Columbus, however, even if a native Columbus
residence, if not a Battelle’s employee, cannot tell what Battelle’s job content. Wadsworth says, jokingly, as a
CEO, his main duty is to explain what Battelle actually does.
如果你是一个职业投资人,单从巴特尔纪念研究所官方提供的财务报表是很难看出其主营业务的经营
状况。短短一页财务报表只显示总收入、总支出、利润等几个粗略的数据,除此之外,别无其他。根据当
地媒体 Columbus Dispatch 的报道,从 1998 年到 2012 年的 10 余年间是巴特尔纪念研究所历史上发展最快
的一个时期,其年收入从 9 亿美元上升到 65 亿美元,而实验室管理和国防及国家安全合同是主要增长点。
If you are an investor, you cannot figure out Battelle’soperation situation by its official Financial Statements
only. The one-page Financial Statement only shows the total income, total expenditure and profit. Columbus
Dispatch reported that Battelle Memorial Institute has developed rapidly during ten years between 1998 and
2012, whose annual income rose from 900 million to 6.5 billion dollars, mostly coming from Lab management
and national defense contracts.
7. 在哥伦布之行开始之前,由于要求安全审查,加之公开信息非常有限,早报记者也非常好奇巴特尔纪念研
究所到底是干什么的。一位纽约的咨询师告之,客户们选择巴特尔有两大原因,一是因为它专业,二是因
为低调。到达巴特尔纪念研究所总部,专访沃兹沃思时,早报记者也仍在试图寻找其笼统简单的财务报告
之后的商业模式。像其他跨国公司一样,巴特尔纪念研究所也表示出了对于中国市场的浓厚兴趣。但沃兹
沃思同时也对于美国对华高科技产物出口限制,以及在华搞科研技术分享时的禁区等问题三缄其口。
A New York consular said that there are two reasons for investors to choose Battelle, one is its profession and
another is its low-key style. Battelle Memorial Institution also shows interest in Chinese market. However,
Wadsworth is still silent about the restriction on high-tech export to China.
东方早报:巴特尔纪念研究所的研发经费年高达 65 亿美元;国家安全,健康与生命科学,能源、环境与
材料科学,实验室管理是巴特尔的四大核心商业领域。能否介绍一下这四大核心领域对年收入的贡献比
例?
Oriental Morning Post: The research fund of Battelle is up to 6.5 billion per year, and the four core commercial
fields of Battelle is national security, health and life science, energy, environment and material science and lab
management. Would you please introduce the proportion these four businesscontribute for the company’s
annual income?
沃兹沃思:巴特尔纪念研究所年收入的最大部分来自实验室管理。我们管理或共同管理着隶属于美国
能源部和国土安全部的 6 个实验室,包括西北太平洋国家实验室(Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)、
橡树岭国家实验室(Oak Ridge National Laboratory)、布鲁克海文国家实验室(Brookhaven National
Laboratory)、国家可再生能源实验室(National Renewable Energy Lab)、爱达荷国家实验室(Idaho National
Laboratory),以及劳伦斯·利弗莫尔国家实验室(Lawrence Livermore National Lab);我们同时还参与管理
英国国家核实验室(C)。我们近年来还为美国一些大型科学项目的建设和发展提供了监理服务,其中包
括 橡树岭国 家实验室 的 “散 裂中子源 ”( Spallation Neutron Source) 和“美洲 虎”超级 计算机( Jaguar
supercomputer)项目。目前,我们正在布鲁克海文国家实验室建设世界上最强大的光源 NSLS-2。除了实验
8. 室管理,国家安全领域的项目是我们收入的第二大来源,随后是健康与生命科学,最后是能源、环境与材
料科学。我们也在所有我们工作的地区和社区进行大量的投资。
Wadsworth:Battelle Memorial Institute’s annual income mainly comes from Lab Management. We manage or
co-manage six laboratories that belong to US Department of Energy and Department of Homeland Security,
including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory,
National Renewable Energy Lab, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Lab. We also
participate in managing the Lawrence Livermore National Lab.Recent years, we have provided inspection
services for some national scientific programs, including Spallation Neutron Source and Jaguar supercomputer.
Besides Lab Management, national security programs are our second resource of income, health and life science
comes third, and then the energy, environment and material science. We have invested a lot in our work place
and communities.
东方早报:巴特尔纪念研究所目前的客户达 1100 多个。我们想了解一下这个群体的组成,其中政府
机构所占的比例是多少?商业客户的比例是多少?
Oriental Morning Post:Now Battelle Memorial Institution has more than 1100 clients. We want to know
about the constitution of those clients. What is the proportion of government institutions and business
companies?
沃兹沃思:无论是历史,还是现状,我们的客户群绝大部分由政府机构组成,他们横跨各级各类联邦
和州政府。商业和工业客户同样也是我们客户群的重要组成部分,未来我们想看到的是政府和商业客户比
例之间更好的平衡。
Wadsworth:Considering both history and present situation, most of our clients are government institutions,
covering various levels of federal government and states governments. Anyway, commercial and industrial
clients are also important consist of our customer base. We are trying to keep a balance between these.
东方早报:巴特尔的商业客户大多为没有自己研发中心的中小型公司。与自设研发中心相比,研发项
目外包给巴特尔的优势体现在哪里?你们也同大型公司进行项目研发合作?
Oriental Morning Post:Most of Battelle’s commercial customers are small and medium-sized enterprises
that don’t have their own research center.Contrasting with setting up their own research center, what are the
advantagesfor those enterprises to outsource their research and development programs? Do you also cooperate
with large corporations?
9. 沃兹沃思:我们与小型、中型和大型公司都有研究项目合作,这也是巴特尔的魅力所在。我们可以根
据客户的需求,配合相应的研发资源。我们在小型的专业研发项目方面非常成功,我们同样也有能力运作
大型的、复杂的和包含尖端技术的项目。对于很多公司来说,把研发项目外包给巴特尔这样的机构往往是
更经济可行的方案。因为我们资源丰富,而规模较小的公司通常不能负担聘请大量多学科研究人员的支出,
也不能承受项目全年运转的费用。此外,科研是一项昂贵和资本密集型的产业,需要相当大的前期投入,
用于建立最先进的设施和购买尖端的设备。
Wadsworth:We have cooperation with both big corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises, this
is charm of Battelle. On request of customers, we match up with relevant research and development resources.
We are successful in small programs, while we have the ability to take charge in complicated large scale projects
with sophisticated technology.We have abundant resources and professional researchers, so it is a better choice
for corporations with a small scale to outsource their R & D programs to us.
东方早报:巴特尔纪念研究所有自设的风险投资基金,这个基金在运作上如何支持科研产业化的发
展?
Oriental Morning Post:Battelle set up its own venture capital fund, how is the fund operated to support the
development of the industrialization of research results?
沃兹沃思:巴特尔风险投资基金是附属于巴特尔的一家风投基金,它不但帮助巴特尔拥有知识产权的
技术创新项目加速产业化,而且还单独或者合作资助第三方的技术创新项目的产业化运作。这些运作主要
集中在发现和投资一些处于早期研发阶段的技术公司。巴特尔风投基金正不断地发掘与巴特尔纪念研究所
的核心研究领域——国家安全,健康与生命科学,能源、环境与材料科学等相匹配的科学技术和创新机会。
巴特尔风投基金的合伙人拥有投资经验、社交网络和管理经验,把科学技术转化成市场需要的产物和解决
方案。在早期投资之后,巴特尔风投基金还会追加资金以辅助进一步的科技创新和产物开发。
Wadsworth:Battelle Venture Capital Fund is attached to Battelle, which helps Battelle speed
industrialization of technology innovation and also fund third parties’operation of technology innovation
programs independently or by cooperation. This operation concentrates on finding and funding those
technology companies in their early research and development stage. Battelle Venture Capital Fund keeps
10. exploring scientific technologies and innovation opportunities matching up with Battelle’s core research areas –
national security, health and life science, energy, environment and material science. Partners of Battelle Venture
Capital Fund have investment experience, social network and management experience, as well as solutions to
industrialize science and technology to commercial products.
东方早报:作为世界上最大最前沿的研究机构的首席执行长,你能否给我们简短地作一个研发产业的
前景趋势预测?就从巴特尔专注的三个核心领域——国家安全,健康与生命科学,能源、环境与材料科学
开始吧。
Oriental Morning Post:As the CEO of the world’s largest frontier research institution, could you give us a
prediction about the prospective and development of R & D industry? You may start with those three areas,
national security, health and life science, energy, environment and material science, which Battelle is engaged
in.
沃兹沃思:在国家安全研究领域,我们观察到的热点是网络安全。这个研究方向非常重要,因为我们
要保护我们的信息安全,免受来自网络的威胁,而网络安全的局势也正一天天地变得越来越复杂。网络安
全是各级政府以及商业市场的共同关注。目前这个方向的研究很多,我相信我们将在不久的将来看到一些
该方向研究的实质性进展。在健康与生命科学领域,随着世界上一些最受欢迎药物的专利保护到期,我们
看到了新药研究的升温。另一个研究趋势、同时也是巴特尔正在参与的项目就是个性化药物的研发。人类
基因组的解码正推动着研究人员朝更具有针对性更个体化的治疗和诊断方向发展。简而言之,有一天我们
不只能看到是 1 型和 2 型糖尿病,还有可能有 23 型糖尿病。这个研究趋势使更具有针对性、体现个体差
异的更有效的治疗方案成为可能。最后,能源、环境与材料科学领域的趋势可谓爆炸性的。该领域的研究
项目数量巨大,涵盖范围很广。随着世界人口的不断增长,能源需求以及关乎环境影响的水和碳管理等问
题都是热点。
Wadsworth:In the national security area, we find that the hotspot must be Internet Security. This research
direction is of great importance because we must protect our information from threat of Internet while the
Internet Security situation is becoming more and more complicated. Internet Security is the common concern of
both governments of various levels and business market. Now there are many researches in this direction and
Ibelieve that there will be substantial progress soon. As to health and life science area, development of new
11. drugs is becoming popular as large-scale backbone drugs’ patent protection expires. What’s more, research in
energy, environment and material science areas is explosive. Those are all hotspots.
东方早报:巴特尔纪念研究所一直定期发表报告关注世界各国研发产业的动向,你本人也尤其关注中
国的研发市场发展。根据你的研究和分析,中国的研发产业的现状和未来走向如何?
Oriental Morning Post:Battelle Memorial Institution publishes reports focusing on the world’s research and
development industry regularly, and you especially concentrate on this industry in China yourself, so could you
say something about the current situation and the future development of Chinese research and development
industry according to your analysis?
沃兹沃思:在可预见的未来,中国在研发领域将保持强劲增长。随着研发的全球化进程加剧,中国的
研发投资将集中在提高本国公民生活质量以及抢占全球市场份额的两方面。这些不断增加的研发投资,加
上中国正在为提高科学和学术严谨性以及逐步完善知识产权保护的努力都会提高中国的研发活动在全球
市场的地位。与此同时,中国研发投资的加速增长和提高也正在受到多方关注,所以中国研发产业也将面
临更严酷的竞争环境。
Wadsworth:In the foreseeable future, there will be a rapid increase in Chinese research and development
industry. As the globalization of research and development, Chinese investment in this industry will concentrate
on both improving people’s life quality and seizing global market share. China will be more and more important
in the global R&D industry with its increasing investment and efforts on improving protection of Intellectual
Patent. At the same time, Chinese research and development industry is also facing more competitive
competitors.
东方早报:巴特尔目前在中国有项目吗?巴特尔的中国市场战略是什么?未来会成立巴特尔中国分公
司吗?
Oriental Morning Post:DO Battelle have Chinese programs? What is Battelle’sstrategy in China? Will
Battelle set up a branch in China?
沃兹沃思:目前我们和中国相关的最大的项目是一家名为 360ip 的公司。2008 年,巴特尔纪念研究所
和巴特尔风险投资基金共同在新加坡成立了这家旨在推动国际知识产权商业化、促进投资的基金管理公司。
12. 从最初成立,360ip 就把目光锁定在中国。通过我们的国际网络,以及巴特尔和巴特尔下属实验室的资源,
我们和很多公司取得了合作。相应地,巴特尔把 360ip 视为连接巴特尔的知识产权、科研成果与中国以及
整个亚洲市场需求的一个关键的机制。除此之外,我们当然也在不断地探索在中国的新的机会,并正在向
巴特尔在中国更广泛存在的方面努力。
Wadsworth:The largest program we have with China is a corporation called 360ip. In 2008, Battelle
Memorial Institute and Battelle Venture Capital Fund cooperate to set up a fund management company called
360ip, aimed at promoting international Intellectual Patent commercialization and improving investment. From
the time it is founded, 360ip has focused its target in China. We have cooperated with many corporations via
Battelle and its resources. Accordingly, Battelle regards 360ip as a pivotal mechanism connecting Battelle’s
Intellectual Patent, research results and China, as well as Asia market. We are now still exploring new
opportunities in China.
东方早报:美国联邦政府,比如能源部、国土安全部是巴特尔纪念研究所最重要的客户。你们如何处
理在和外国政府客户合作时可能面临的利益冲突问题?
Oriental Morning Post:The US federal government, such as Department of Energy, Department of
Homeland Security, is Battelle’s most important customers. How do you deal with the potential profit conflict
with foreign clients?
沃兹沃思:在美国有既定的规则,我们按照这些规则来处理我们所有的国际伙伴关系。
Wadsworth:There are rules and principles in America, so we deal with relationships with our international
partnerships according to those rules.