Transferring strategy and structure: The German chemical industry as an exemplar for Great Britain

The interwar years saw unprecedented growth of research by state and by industry. But different countries could build upon different foundations. While Germany drew on experiences from an elaborated science system stemming from well before 1914, Great Britain and the U.S. had to start from a somewhat lower institutional and experience level. In some respects the U.S. was probably more advanced in organizing and financing science, research and development than Britain, which counted to a larger extent on state support after 1918.₁ In the U.S., like Germany, the system of organized and continuous industrial research was closely linked to the chemical, electrical, and steel industries since around 1900. U.S. firms established elaborated structures and strategies on their own, after having seen German firms creating large inhouse research and development facilities. U.S. enterprises did not regard German firms, their business strategies, their research and development structures, or their methods and goals of innovation as exemplary. Accordingly, they did not attempt to transplant strategic and organizational experiences from Germany to the U.S., and American firms and the U.S. science system shall therefore not be dealt with here.