We can no longer afford to be seduced by promises!
As a chemistry student many years ago, I was fascinated by “futurology”. It was regarded as the science that enables us to anticipate and calculate in advance how crises develop in society, industry, and on a global level. Then, in 1974, I wondered why no one had foreseen the emerging oil crisis and its effects. I realized that we cannot predict what will happen in the future. We simply can no longer afford to be seduced by illusions.
We can no longer afford…
Dear friends, it is time to return to develop measurably better products and services again!
We must become makers of a sustainable future. Don’t waste your time in political, societal, religious, racial, etc arguments and fights. Create new and genuine products and services that are sustainable, affordable, carbon-neutral, and part of the circular economy. Help to improve the quality and standard of living for the global society.
My interests changed. Much has been said about globalization and unstable economies. The global economy is like Mikado, the pick-up-stick game. People move sticks everywhere to win the game. I wanted to know who these players are and what kind of people are driving us in and out of crises? It became clear to me that all the systems we built on duality (good/bad) are driven by competition and fighting against each other. Everyone is participating in the Mikado game because everyone strives for a more successful life. Everybody believes to have the best strategy.
It became clear that 99% of all crises were man-made. We never try to find a way out of this duality capsule. trying to create our new unique world. And then I found Eduard de Bono, the inventor of lateral thinking. He showed me how we as entrepreneurs can use creativity to create a better and unique world.
With the abolition of the gold standard by Nixon in 1972, attitudes to money also changed in the economy based on duality. The product that financiers are interested in is money. Money is a neutral currency with which one can exchange everything. It makes more sense for them to make money with money. To create products and services is ineffective and a waste of time. They promised potential investors to quickly multiply their money with the monopoly machine called the stock exchange. However, investors had to bear the risks themselves. Oddly enough, they had no objection.
For banks to grow, they must show their governments that they are collecting more and more new money. With increasing volume, their power increases and the risk decreases. For large new-money suppliers, the gambling risk disappeared. Capital gain grew faster than the GDP. The rich got richer. This attracts more players and creates more competition, irrationality, and uncontrollability in the system. Every bubble can grow until it bursts. The crises in 2001 and 2008 destroyed trillions of dollars each time. No one was responsible for the damage.
In every crisis, economic activity slows down and unemployment increases. Government officials take over economic management. Some better-organized governments have learned a lesson. They have laws that accumulate taxpayers funds to finance the next crises. Others must find third parties to lend them money, and in some countries, everyone is responsible for creating their own future.
In times of crisis, wealthy governments distribute funds to needy taxpayers. They consult with a handful of selected specialists in research organizations and universities as advisors. Suddenly, only a few people, often with political prejudices, are responsible for keeping the economy alive. The likelihood that wrong decisions are made is high. The officials suddenly become powerful distributors of money. To avoid intervention by citizens, they isolate themselves and govern from a “decision centre”.
Every crisis is provoking entrepreneurs to get into action
In a crisis, many entrepreneurs recognize that now is the best time to open new business opportunities. They quickly develop new business models and new products. Countries like Japan and the United States have strong SME cultures. The governments support such starter companies with special programs. The media provide information about the growth dynamics and help to make these doer companies internationally known. Entrepreneurs everywhere realize that the economy is growing again. They start to invest in machines and new employees to participate in the growth. Trust awakens and suddenly the global economy is on the move again.
After 2010, to heal their financial losses from the 2008 crisis, large hedge funds started investing in lucrative industries such as the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Both sectors have huge growth potential and abilities to create real wealth by developing outstanding new products, therapies, and diagnostics. This leads to a healthier society, a higher standard of living, and prosperity.
Unfortunately, the invading financiers did not pursue any product expansion strategies. They started to simplify products, automate processes, and cut costs. They wanted to quickly increase the profitability of their investments through acceleration. Investments in expanding the skills of young people have been discontinued. Many young people conduct basic research at universities and enter the industry as highly focused specialists.
The industry is under pressure to launch new products faster. This requires team-oriented people with a broader focus and diverse skills. In many departments, procedures have been simplified and the specialists replaced by low-cost routine workers. Then the hedge funds partnered with large digital companies to invest in AI technologies that reduce the needs of thinking people. Finally, many production processes and services have been outsourced to low-cost countries.
Then came the COVID19 crisis. We suddenly discovered that there are enormous shortcomings in the health and life sciences. Suddenly, the supply chains for medicines and medical technology no longer worked reliably and delivery bottlenecks become a reality.
Money that should have been invested in creating new and better products, services, jobs, and industries was used for gambling, – to make money with money.
In the past three to five years, large companies have quietly outsourced high-risk research into universities where taxpayers pay the bill. Chromatography is still an evolving industrial sector. Already in the 90ties, the pharmaceutical companies wanted to stop enantiomer development. They anticipated that by around 2000 stereo synthesis will be a reality everywhere. It did not happen. However, some research institutes discovered that chiral separation is effectively done by Supercritical Fluid Chromatography. But then came the fast growth in Biochromatography and with that the need for Biochromatographers.
Chromatography is still a young and very important field in the health and life sciences sector. Progress in the life sciences is not possible without dynamic and creative chromatography. We did appeal to all professional chromatographers to wake up and use their knowledge and innovative ability to create new and valuable applications and technologies.
The new Pharma managers considered Chromatographers as routine workers that were hired to do routine work as requested by the registration authorities. Years before Chromatographers tried hard to create unique methods that could be IPR protected. With the emergence of China and India as large API suppliers, the importance of IPR gradually disappeared. Competition grew and most Chromatographers decided to use Reverse Phase columns. This led to a commoditisation of the industry.
We can no longer afford to be commoditized!
Can you afford to become part of the divide and rule game? In such a game you will be the loser! We can no longer afford to be losers. The Trend that Cromatographers will be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) is growing.
Let’s start working together! We can all create new wealth and distribute it among the participants.
Dear practising Chromatograph, please send your name, address, email address, telephone number, and a brief description of your activities via email or contact form at www.chromatographyshop.com.
I will send you an access code to the confidential discussion room.
Greetings
Willi Glettig, co-owner of Chromatographyshop.com