Industrial Mathematics Work in Recent Years

Noel G. Barton

The speaker was Director of the (Australian) Mathematics-in-Industry Study Group from 1985 to 1993. In the mid 1990s, he was also the Manager of 35 applied mathematicians in CSIRO, Australia’s largest government research organization, and the Executive Officer of a government-funded strategic review into the state of the mathematical sciences in Australia. Dr. Barton has been on the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics since 1995.

The period since the mid 1980s saw steady growth of industrial mathematics initiatives and an increase in skill in targeting our work for best advantage of the discipline and our sponsors. It also involved new challenges for mathematics, particularly how to maintain the mathematical sciences as a core discipline in the face of two significant trends – the growing “mathematisation” of other disciplines and the emphasis on science funding from an end-user perspective.

This story will be told with as much liveliness, flair and realism as the speaker can assemble. It will have an Australian flavour but international relevance. Examples (successes, failures,…) will be given.