(69d) Process Development As An Industry Career Path

Process development is the art of taking an idea and making it commercial.   This is a key skill for industry, as competency in process development often differentiates between commercial success and failure, high vs. low cost, and operability.    The process development engineer must be an “integrator” of all unit operations and technologies required for the process, and translate from R&D concept, to commercial practicality and viability.    This requires a mindset change from nurturing of new ideas, to critical assessment of readiness for final investment, as a technology moves through the developmental pipeline.    A career in process development leads one to practice the full gambit of chemical engineering training and more, as the underpinnings of successful development and deployment.   It is a powerful career path, as one must connect across the organization, from R&D through manufacturing, and with both business and technical management responsible for delivery