20 Oct 2011
At the Board's annual planning day on 21 September 2011, we reviewed our strategic direction and rolling three-year plan, and realigned our priorities for the future.
We reconfirmed SCI's purpose to connect science and business to advance the application of chemistry and related sciences to resolve societal challenges in areas such as food and bio-renewables, water, waste and environment, materials and manufacturing, health and well-being and energy.
We do this by providing a forum for multi-disciplinary discussions on the opportunities and problems of industry; publishing journals, books and other communications; investigating issues of public concern; and informing the public about the benefits from the practical application of chemistry and related sciences. As a membership organisation, it is vital that we have an active, well engaged membership community at our core, but we must also continue to reach out to a much wider audience through our services and communications.
During 2011, we maintained delivery of our core services in publishing, conferences, awards and member activities despite a challenging market, which has reduced our revenue streams. We launched new activities suggested by members, such as Public Evening Lectures with excellent presenters, including Lord Lawson of Blaby and Sir Brian Hoskins on climate change and Dr Robert Winwood on the 'Redemption of the British breakfast'. We have run many successful conferences, including the recent MedChem Symposium with RSC, which attracted 317 participants, well above target.
Our journals continue to perform well in terms of impact factors and revenue. We are particularly pleased with the success of our new journal Biofpr and the launch of online journal Greenhouse Gases Science and Technology, which is attracting a high level of interest. We have achieved all this thanks to the significant efforts of our active members, staff team and partners. Our challenge for 2012-14 is to improve service delivery to attract and retain members and users, while maintaining a balanced budget.
We plan to leverage technology and partnerships to achieve this. We also look to our members to actively promote SCI as the best place to harness the value of the connection between science and business.
The Board has undergone some changes recently, so please see our Organisational Structure page below for full details of Board members.
Dr Jack Melling, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
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