PROFILE OF AN INFORMATION CENTRE: THE SHELL RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY CENTRE, THORNTON

摘要

Shell Research & Technology Centre, Thornton, located just outside Chester in the North of England, is home to over 700 research staff. Its brief is to service the research needs of any part of Shell that is willing to sponsor a research project and work is undertaken in a wide range of areas, including the technologies associated with fuels, lubricants, additives, engineering and the environment. The Centre also blends the fuels and lubricants used by Michael Schumacher and the Ferrari F1 Team. The information department has actually increased in size over the last year following the transfer of 100 research staff from another site in Kent. 'The move was part of a general restructuring taking place within Shell,' says Andrew Gray, one of the two information scientists to be transferred to Thornton from Kent. 'The company is now structured around four businesses — Exploration and Production; Oil Products; Natural Gas and Coal; and Chemicals — rather than the previous geographical divisions.'