Professor Monteith and Delta-T: An Extraordinary Collaboration. The Story of the Automatic Porometer 1973-2013.

This presentation will be a 40 year historical account from the earliest approach of Professor  John Monteith to Delta-T in 1973 to develop a “fully automatic porometer” – an advanced scientific instrument – through product development, transfer to manufacture, release to market, product support and on-going product improvement resulting in the 2013 porometer, the AP4 porometer.  It will illustrate some of the often conflicting interests of partners in academe and industry working towards an apparently common goal. Technology transfer, IP and business models (to use modern terms for subjects barely recognised in 1973) will be explored, together with strategies for integrating advances in scientific understanding and the remorseless introduction of new technology. Underlying this story will be the thread, from the earliest days, of unfailingly courteous, benign and frequently inspirational support from a person of incomparable academic standing, and a wry sense of humour – Professor John Monteith.