Editors'Column
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CIRCLE 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD
600 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 52, NO. 6, MAY 1980
mentation. Many industries—Westinghouse, U.S. Steel, Alcoa, t o name only a few—had not only their pro duction facilities b u t also their re search a n d development laboratories in t h e Pittsburgh area. These indus tries needed good analytical method ology in their research and develop m e n t efforts and to ensure t h e quality of their products. Talented people from these Pittsburgh organizations and from t h e area's universities joined together to build the Conference to what it is today. Parallel t o this, of course, t h e analytical instrument com panies grew and prospered until today they represent a mature and responsi ble industry. Centcom, t h e advertising space sales subsidiary of the American Chemical Society, sponsored with t h e Scientific Apparatus Makers' Associa tion a " P i t t s b u r g h Conference Break fast" for instrument company execu tives. F . Gerard Adams, a professor of economics and finance who is also with Wharton Econometric Forecast ing Associates, Inc., spoke on "Instru ment Boom or Bust in t h e 80's." Mr. Adams drew a parallel between how chemists would feel if their expected chemical reactions and measurements d i d n ' t work and t h e plight of econo mists in the current economic climate. Nevertheless, he placed t h e analyti cal instrument industry with those socalled "sunrise" industries which have great growth potential as opposed to some industries such as steel a n d probably automobiles, which he termed "sunset" industries. He said t h a t t h e economic readjustment which will take place over time offers oppor tunities for t h e analytical instrument business since it is a t t h e technical front and therefore has competitive advantages. He emphasized this in dustry's technological strengths and advantages in t h e worldwide economy t h a t will evolve on t h e other side of the valley represented by likely nearterm economic slowdowns. T h e exhibition a t t h e Pittsburgh Conference attests to t h e optimism in the industry. An overwhelming n u m ber of new products were introduced. T h e increased number of seminar rooms used by instrument companies to explain their products and to edu cate reflects t h e sophistication of to day's instruments. Obviously, if you are in t h e market for an analytical in strument, this Conference is a must. Knowledgeable technical people will explain and demonstrate their instru ments a n d competitive models are only a short distance away so compari sons can be made on t h e spot. J. M. Petruzzi
