Ciba: International Research Laboratories in Japan: Practical Validation of a Strategic Concept

Abstract

At the beginning of the 1980s, the top management of Ciba-Geigy declared “We have looked into the future, and it lies in Japan and South-East Asia.” However, until then Ciba did not have a clue how to get at results of Japanese basic research. Though Japan’s universities have long been open, most scientific papers were published in Japanese and thus difficult to access by foreign readers. Japanese technology tended not to be up for sale as much as western expertise was. The Japanese were often reluctant to license out what they considered valuable as a long term asset.

This case study was authored by Dr. Urs Burckhardt, former Research Liaison Officer in the Corporate Research Units of Ciba, Dr. Rudolf H. Andreatta, former Director of International Research Laboratories (IRL) in Takarazuka, Japan, and Prof. Dr. Daniel Bellus, former Head of Corporate Research Units. This case study was written in 1997: The reader should keep in mind that all numbers, figures, organization charts and forecasts represent the state of 1997 or before. The case study was revised in 2006 by Eric Montagne.