ICI's strategic shift from bulk chemicals to a portfolio of specialty chemicals businesses has required a reshaping of research and technology (R&T) resources. This has been overseen by the Technology Board chaired by the Senior Vice President for Technology and comprising the senior R&T managers from the businesses. The Technology Board is responsible for the development of the Group Technology Strategy and its delivery through the R&T capabilities distributed among the individual businesses.

Each business in the ICI Group is responsible for its own research and technology resources and for driving innovation to meet the needs of its customers and markets. The strengths of businesses in specific areas such as coatings science in Paints, polymer chemistry in National Starch, and sensory science in Quest, support the prime technology platforms of the ICI Group, namely biosciences, chemistry and catalysis, and materials. These platforms (or megathemes) constitute a portfolio of projects which accelerate long term technology development of the Group, and avoid business duplication while reducing individual business risk.

The Senior Vice President R&T is supported by a Group Technology Office, whose role is to facilitate cross business interactions, aid strategic research planning, co-ordinate corporately funded programmes and identify external technology opportunities. There are two corporately sponsored programmes comprising:

• Business Link for cross-business technology development, and
• Strategic Research for cross-business technology exploration with academic partners.

During 1999 these programmes identified a number of business opportunities, both for new product platforms and novel process chemistry.

Key capabilities needed for the continuing businesses, for example colloid science, polymer science and particle engineering, have been consolidated into a centrally funded group based at Wilton in north-east England.