Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 15, 1973)

Centralization Of Shipyard

Research Recommended "The volume and extent of shipbuilding

Research and Development programs in the

United States are now comparable to or greater than the most extensive such programs abroad."

That is the gist of the April 1973 report on "The Organization of Shipbuilding Research

Abroad and in the United States," prepared by the 'Center for Maritime Studies, Webb

Institute of Naval Architecture, for the Na- tional Maritime Research 'Center, Kings Point,

N.Y., released last month by the Maritime

Administration.

Among other principal conclusions and rec- ommendations : — Except for the recently inaugurated Japa- nese "automated yard" program, U.S. ship- building research programs "in most respects 1 cover ground similar to the best foreign ship- building research." — Participation in shipbuilding R&D effort by various industry, Government, nonprofit research and professional organizations is simi- lar to participation abroad. — Volume of independent U.S., as well as foreign, shipyard R&D appears to be under- stated in national statistics. — Degree of private funding in the U.S. "is, nevertheless, not sufficient to maintain an ade- quate R&D effort without very substantial

Government support." — "A differential in shipbuilding costs ex- ists between the U.S. and foreign countries which is believed to justify continuing Gov- ernment R&D expenditures, which will con- tribute to improved productivity and hence reduce subsidies." — The most productive directions for U.S. shipbuilding research "are, in general, agreed" to be as follows: production-oriented design; production methods and equipment; market- ing; planning and production control; man- agement techniques and personnel problems.

Noting that "foreign shipbuilding research is organized under central coordinating bod- ies, representing both industry and Govern- ment, which serve as points of exchange of information, guidance and, in some cases, pro- vide programming and direction," the report urges U.S. creation of "a senior central group or Shipbuilders' Research Association" with these functions: — "to work with R&D sponsors" — "to be responsible for planning and or- ganizing shipyard research" — "to improve cohesion and coordination" — "to perform contracting and expediting functions as needed"

Earlier this year, the Maritime Transporta- tion Research Board (MTRB) of the National

Research Council, affiliated with the National

Academy of Sciences, in the report on "Ship- building Research and Development," prepared for the Maritime Administration and Defense

Department, concluded that "the shipbuilding industry is far below other U.S. industries in research, expenditures per gross sales" and also recommended through "industrywide sponsorship, establish (ment of) a Shipbuild- ing Research Center similar to the British

Shipbuilding Research Association (BSRA) . . . to serve as a focal point for shipbuilding research and as a source of up-to-date market- ing information."

While not disagreeing with the above rec- ommendation. John T. Gilbride, president o,f

Todd Shipyards Corp., and J.J. Henry, presi- dent o'f J-J- Henry Co., Inc., MTRB members, in dissenting opinion, expressed the view that "research and development, per se" wil'l not enhance shipbuilding productivity and stabil- ity. Their rationale: "The emphasis of the report is on directing research toward improving the productivity of U.'S. yards, which is alleged to be signifi- cantly lower than that of other leading ship- building nations. It is the opinion of the under- signed (Gilbride/Henry) that U.S. shipyard labor productivity is as good as the better shipyards in the world for the same types of shipbuilding work. Due to the lack of VL'QC construction experience to date in the U.S., labor productivity in the U.S.A. will be lower than in Europe and Japan for the startup pe- riod. Furthermore, efforts to improve the pro- ductivity of U.'S. shipbuilders might benefit from a study of allied U.S. industries, since the work techniques in shipbuilding are not that different from those in many allied Ameri- can industries. Then, too, since material and components generally represent over 50 per- cent of a ship's costs, the supplier industries would seem equally important. Against this background, it is our opinion that Government

Research and Development funds should not be directed to this area as the highest priority, but rather at ship design, marketing, and areas of related marine technology."

Tarabochia Marine Hydraulics

Names Norman Jensen VP

Tarabochia Marine Hydraulics Co., Inc. has announced the appointment of Norman C. Jen- sen as its vice president of sales and marketing development.

Mr. Jensen is a graduate of the U.'S. Mer- chant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y., and has served as engineer on U.S. Lines,

States Marine, Lykes Bros, and U.S. Navy vessels. Prior to joining TMH, Mr. Jensen served as port engineer with American Presi- dent Lines.

Mr. Jensen will seek to expand the coverage of Taraboc'hia's services to meet the increas- ing demand for electrohydraulic repairs and systems modifications on U.S. Navy, and for- eign and domestic commercial vessels.

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