- North American Cities of the Future 2007/08
- fDi’s TOP 20 EXPAT CITIES
- Pepsi was one of the earliest multinational...
- UAE: vital statistics
- FDI increases in developing world
- fDi’s TOP 20 EXPAT CITIES /Part 2
- European Cities & Regions of the Future 2008/09
- EUROPEAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2006/07
- Asian Cities of the Future 2007/08
- Profile: Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
Investment promotion agencies are lovers of statistics so fDi magazine is starting a regular look at investment flows with the help of UNCTAD and IBM Business Consulting Services. This issue, we look at developments in Romania and the overall FDI picture for 2002.
World Bank data show that most central and eastern European countries began the new millennium with healthy economic growth after the painful economic adjustments of the mid-1990s. Some of the biggest improvements have come from smaller countries that have found export markets in western Europe and further afield.
The Fiji Islands government regards the South Pacific Games as an opportunity to prove to investors that it is an advantageous location for business but how robust is it?
In the middle of Suva, the hot and bustling capital city of the Fiji Islands, there is a large digital clock, counting down the number of days until the start of the South Pacific Games. Athletes from 22 countries in the Pacific will compete at the games at the end of June. Big sporting events always bring an air of promise to a country and the atmosphere in Fiji is one of optimism.
Central bank governors and finance ministers in Latin America and the Caribbean explain how their countries are positioned to improve prospects for the economy, banking and foreign direct investment.
The economic development of Chattanooga has made it an ideal environment for foreign companies looking to relocate or expand. Mayor Bob Corker is keen to tell the world. Karen E Thuermer reports.
Oxford Intelligence’s www.IPAWorld.com – sponsor of the World Free Zone Convention Website Awards – offers some guidance to entrants for the 2003 Awards, to be presented at the two-day Brussels conference in June.
A closer examination of China’s star FDI figures reveals a large amount of capital going out of the country and returning under a different guise, says Louise de Rosario.
After adopting anti-bribery laws in 1977, the US lobbied hard for Europe and Japan to do the same to create a level playing field for its companies in bidding for foreign contracts. In 1999, the OECD created the Anti-bribery Convention but has it been effective? Sophie Roell reports.
William Vukson explains why the certainty of pegged exchange rates is crucial to the viability of FDI.
Tony Khindria ponders the pitfalls of cross-cultural negotiating.
Over the years I have noticed the reactions of those coming to India to negotiate deals. When foreigners visit, whether as tourists or for business, they need to find someone they trust; someone who will look after them.
In fDi’s survey of company chiefs in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, most found grounds for optimistic predictions for 2003.
State governor Janet Napolitano gives her pitch for Arizona’s growing biotech industry.
fDi: You’ve been a strong supporter of Arizona’s biotech industry, even before becoming governor of Arizona at the start of this year. Perhaps a good place to start is the passage of Bill HB2403 that will change the law to allow greater commercial participation in university research.
Building investment: Lonza Biotec is constructing new production lines at its Kourim plant
The Czech Republic is long on talent but short on cash to put its research into production. Charles Piggott reports on attempts to solve the problem.
It would be hard to find a better advert for the Czech Republic’s fledgling biotech sector than Marián Hajdúch, a researcher director at the Laboratory of Experimental Medicine in Olomouc. He knows that in Germany he could make 10 times his salary, yet he returned from postgraduate work in Canada to work in Moravia, famous for scientific research since Gregor Mendel laid the foundations of modern genetics 150 years ago.
Science is the predominant factor driving biotech investment decisions, and partnerships and alliances are essential.
One result of the life sciences boom has been the attendant growth in government action plans. Almost every country, state or region has commissioned its own bespoke, 100-page-plus report into what needs to be done to encourage biotechnology investment.
Novartis has been conspicuous in its heavy investment in the biotechnology sector in recent years. CEO Daniel Vasella explains the thinking behind the strategy to Charles Piggott.
State-of-the-art: Singapore is hoping that its life sciences park, Biopolis, will become a pre-eminent biotech centre
Countries across the globe are competing for the chance to provide locations for US companies’ biotech R&D and manufacturing work.
While many markets are suffering from the global economic downturn, biotechnology is forging ahead. Charles Piggott reports.
Jim Patti addresses Mexico’s current and potential future environment for FDI
Mexico has long been one of the more attractive nations in which to make an investment, whether in manufacturing or infrastructure FDI. The large population, inexpensive labour pool, stable political environment and proximity to the US have given it significant advantages over other potential recipients of FDI. However, it has recently faced greater competition for FDI from China and other countries. A response to these challenges must include a change in the country’s labour laws.
Cathy Dawson: teaching faculty comes from Deloitte & Touche and Ernst and Young, among others
Investment promotion agency (IPA) executives who want to make their locations red hot could improve their prospects by signing up for a training course with Cathy Dawson.
Ms Dawson, who has worked in training and events for IPAs for 10 years, recently launched her company Red Hot Locations, with a teaching faculty drawn from Deloitte & Touche, Ernst and Young, Oxford Intelligence Buck Consultants, IBM/PLI and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Biscaya’s prime minister Josu Bergera: Guggenheim museum project restored citizens’ faith in themselves
It’s an unusual approach to take when an industrial city hits rock bottom – but Bilbao’s leaders decided the best way out of the malaise was to build a museum.
The $89m Guggenheim Museum, opened in 1997 and built on a former shipyard, has sparked a cultural renaissance in Bilbao, capital of Spain’s Biscaya region.
fDi reports on the latest regulatory and trade changes that will impact foreign direct investors.
Another bad year for investment promotion agency (IPA) budget cuts lies ahead. In the US, many state development agencies have already suffered drastic cuts in funding and headcounts. At the end of March, Scottish Enterprise became the latest European development agency to have its funding cut.
Leading internet search site Google has chosen Ireland over Switzerland as the location for its first international operations centre outside the US.
There were momentous falls in FDI flows in 2001 and 2002. Nowhere has the decrease been more dramatic than in the US, whose FDI inflows collapsed from $131bn in 2001 to $30bn in 2002. This allowed China to become the world’s single largest host country with $53bn of FDI inflow. In 2003, the worldwide decline in FDI flows looks set to continue.
The Indian government continues to have an ambiguous policy towards foreign direct investment.
On February 28, finance minister Jaswant Singh announced that FDI limits in telecoms companies and private banks had been raised from 49% to 74%. Shares of Bharti, of which Singapore Telecom (Singtel) is a partner, rose only to fall a week later when the government’s budget documents were released and the clause on telecoms companies was mysteriously missing.
The row over the war in Iraq is certainly the biggest, but it is not the only argument stretching across the Atlantic. The next looming row is likely to be over the European Union (EU) moratorium on new genetically modified (GM) products.
Dahlgren: Russian market is much more sophisticated than it appears
When Lennart Dahlgren, the general director of Ikea Russia, arrived in Moscow on August 17, 1998, to set up the company’s first superstore, his heart sank. He walked into an unfolding economic crisis as he had arrived on the same day that the rouble crashed, losing three-quarters of its value against the dollar overnight. It was the start of a journey that has turned him into a retail-driven foreign investment success story.
The island of Puerto Rico, a US dependency in the Caribbean, is fast becoming one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturing centres as the major industry players gravitate to cheaper locations.
In the year since its launch, fDi has been an effective link between development agencies and investors. Our birthday issue focuses on the potential of biotechnology and launches a new award.
With this issue, fDi magazine marks its first anniversary. In just a year, the title has been established as an effective link between investing companies and regional development agencies.
San Diego: the most geographically dense biotechnology community in the US
‘‘Why San Diego?” is a question with some very interesting answers. There are some unique characteristics that set San Diego apart as a thriving centre of technology and entrepreneurship.
San Diego’s world-class universities and research institutes attract federal research dollars and a highly educated workforce. The close relationship between research institutions and the business community fosters innovative and entrepreneurial technology transfer. Two of San Diego’s most significant technology industry clusters trace their heritage back to the University of California, San Diego.
San Diego’s culture of innovation has helped San Diego outpace the nation in job creation. Venture capital funding comes from experienced local sources and from the powerhouse Silicon Valley firms just 90 minutes away by air.
The networking so vital to an entrepreneurial environment has grown to a high art in San Diego. The tech community is close-knit and crosses industry lines to the benefit of all. Strong industry support associations representing biotechnology, telecommunications, software and defense are complemented by organisations such as the San Diego Regional EDC, UCSD Connect, San Diego Venture Group, MIT Enterprise Forum and the World Trade Center.
Regional strengths
San Diego’s strengths have also been highlighted by research on our region. Harvard professor Michael Porter chose San Diego as the first region in his Clusters of Innovation initiative conducted for the Council on Competitiveness.
According to the report: “San Diego was chosen as a pilot region because of the way it reduced its dependence on tourism and defense aerospace to emerge from a deep recession over a decade ago to become one of the nation’s fastest growing, diverse economic regions. Significant investment in research and development; important formal and informal connective institutions among industry, academia and government; and the vision, entrepreneurial spirit and concerted action of business and government leaders enabled San Diego to develop this economic diversity and attain competitive positions in clusters such as communications and biotechnology/pharmaceuticals.”
Pharmaceutical powerhouse Pfizer acquired Agouron, a local biotech company that developed one of the first AIDS drugs, Viracept. Pfizer’s website says: “The La Jolla/Torrey Pines region is a major biotechnology zone resulting from spin-offs and associations with the Salk Institute, the Scripps Institute and the University of California San Diego.”
Pfizer’s plans include doubling the size of their current facility to approximately 770,000 sq ft. They currently have 1,300 employees, an increase of 30% since the acquisition.
The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) was dedicated in November 2002. The institute is developing advanced technologies ranging from cellular genomics and proteomics to combinatorial chemistry and structural biology. They currently have more than 200 researchers and engineers working at the facility and that number will grow over time.
On its website, GNF says of its San Diego facility: “In addition to its unparalleled internal resources, the institute is located in close proximity to the Scripps Research Institute, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), the Salk Institute and the Burnham Institute, where GNF scientists have access to a wide range of seminars and academic collaborators.”
San Diego’s biotechnology community is the most geographically dense in the country. In its recent survey (March 29-April 4 issue) on biotechnology, the Economist said of San Diego: “If there is an authentic biotechnology cluster anywhere in the world, this is it.”
In the UK, the South West stands out as a breeding ground for the biotechnology industry.
Growth in the South West’s relatively young biotech sector is accelerating rapidly, with the main entrepreneurial activity focused in three areas: Bristol and Bath; Exeter and Plymouth; and South Wiltshire.
There are around 45 key companies involved in research and development, with a further 100 companies engaged in support work. The main areas of work are biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics (medical, agrifood and environmental applications) and specialised reagents and instrumentation.
It’s in biopharmaceuticals and drug discovery that the most exciting progress is being made.
In the region is the world-famous Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research (CAMR) that has the UK government’s Department of Health as its primary client. CAMR programmes include vaccine research in HIV, tuberculosis and meningitis. CAMR is particularly suited to the handling of highly infectious agents (for example, Lassa fever, Marburg, smallpox, Ebola and plague) because of its Special Pathogens Diagnosis and Reference Unit, ACDP Category 3 and 4 facilities and secure location.
CAMR hosts the European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC). In partnership with industry, CAMR has developed its patented research, notably for the development of therapeutics derived from Clostridial neurotoxins and for vaccine delivery. One notable partnership is with the Battelle Memorial Institute working with the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, on the US anthrax vaccine. CAMR also carries out the UK’s anthrax vaccine work.
On the same site in Wiltshire is the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), which has expertise in microbiological and molecular biology, toxicology and pharmacology relevant to drug evaluation. The laboratory has facilities for microbiological containment, sensing and countermeasures and secure resources for dealing with highly toxic agents.
The UK’s newest medical school, the Peninsula Medical School, is situated next to Tamar Science Park, a major technology centre in Plymouth, and has already initiated major research programmes focusing on diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, stroke and neurological disease. The school integrates molecular genetic testing with clinical work.
Tripos Receptor Research is a world leader in the manipulation of molecular informatics to accelerate drug discovery research, and is undergoing a major expansion in Cornwall. Following extensive research the company decided that the South West was the best place for expansion, despite stiff competition from other European locations.
The South West has much to offer the biotech industry, with world class facilities and expertise, strong research-based academic institutions, an entrepreneurial skills base and growing clusters of young high-tech enterprises with intellectual property portfolios.
Two of the region’s leading universities in biosciences, Bristol and Bath, were together ranked alongside Oxford and Cambridge for the scale and quality of their research in a UK national survey, the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise.
The South West of England Regional Development Agency is strongly committed to developing and growing the biotech sector in the South West. The agency will provide advice, support and practical help to enable companies to benefit from the many advantages of setting up, growing or relocating a new business to the region. The South West RDA works closely with all the support agencies in the region, Invest UK in London and has overseas offices in North America and Japan.
The South West RDA works in partnership with BioApproaches South West, and other organisations which offer business and professional development help for the South West biotechnology sector.
The south west: other companies of international renown
1 Hunter Fleming, a specialist drug development company focusing on treatments for central nervous system neurodegenerative conditions. It specialises in bridging the gap between worldwide centres of academic research excellence and the international pharmaceutical industry.
2 Molecular Sensing which is developing technologies and instrumentation based on quantitative PCR to enhance the speed, applicability and flexibility of DNA analysis.
3 Mobious Genomics are set to capitalise on the potential of their revolutionary new technique for DNA sequencing, which speeds up the process by up to 365,000 times.
4 G W Pharmaceuticals has a unique portfolio of prescription medicines derived from cannabis that meet patient needs in a wide range of therapeutic indications. The company is conducting phase three clinical trials in cancer pain, spinal cord injury, neuropathic pain and brachial plexus avulsion. The company has taken the first step in the planned establishment of a new research entity – the Cannabinoid Research Institute. The institute will be a distinct division within the company and will allow them to expand from clinical and pre-clinical work into fundamental cannabis research.
Dr Lawrence Mahan, Director of Biotechnology and Advanced Technologies,
Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.
Beyond thinking globally, companies planning for sustained growth will most likely act globally. The State of Maryland understands this and views the emergence of the growing number and complexity of international markets as unexplored opportunity, not competition. Maryland is globally connected through a combination of unique resources, including immediate access to over 170 embassies in the Washington, DC area. Programmes like Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Advanced Foreign Studies provide intensive learning opportunities.
Maryland’s strengths
Recognised by Time magazine as the “Genome BioCapital”, Maryland’s strengths span a number of the core industry sectors.
Genomics and proteomics: Celera Genomics and the Human Genome Project jointly announced the completion of the human genome-sequencing project. Proteomics is now at the forefront of drug discovery efforts.
Biotherapeutics and diagnostics: Companies such as Human Genome Sciences (HGS), Medimmune and Digene have launched promising programmes for drug and diagnostics development.
Bioinformatics: Maryland is home to some of the most intensive bioinformatics efforts in the world.
Biomanufacturing and bioprocessing: Companies such as, BioReliance, Cambrex and Chesapeake Biological Laboratories operate highly efficient, FDA-approved GMP facilities.
Agricultural biotechnology – Research by the US Department of Agriculture’s Beltsville research facility and the University of Maryland’s Biotechnology Institute’s (UMBI) Center for Biosystems Research.
Bioscience assets
Maryland ranks first across the nation in the number of PhDs in the bioscience workforce. Add to that 31.5% of all workers holding a BA degree or higher and Maryland’s workforce is one of the best prepared in the country. (National Science Foundation, US Dept. of Labor)
Maryland is also home to world-renowned institutes of research and learning such as Johns Hopkins University, the University System of Maryland, TIGR and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Maryland has over 40 federal facilities conducting life sciences-related research. Researchers from Maryland-based institutions have created over 100 bioscience businesses.
Maryland companies receive investment starts from regional venture funds, federal institutions and State government.
Maryland has a mature network of public and private incubators where young companies enjoy amenities such as shared business services.
The bottom line
Compared to other leading biotechnology hubs in the US, Maryland companies are able to operate efficiently at a lower cost. These are some of the reasons why.
From expertise at federal research facilities to the highly trained workforce at individual companies, Maryland’s bioscience community benefits from a concentrated knowledge base within a 40-mile radius.
The diversity and numbers of Maryland’s bioscience service companies ensure customised products for start-ups to mature companies.
Also access to early dialogue with the FDA helps reduce time to market.
Add to this a customised workforce training programmes at community colleges, to innovative programmes and partnership opportunities with universities, state and local governments, Maryland demonstrates a real commitment to the growth of this industry.
In summary, make your next bioscience decision Maryland.
There is more to bio than just biotechnology. So why is the North of England at the forefront of life sciences?
Whether you call it, bio, biotech, or big pharma, behind the words lies a reality that represents an increasingly important part of our everyday lives. The life sciences sector in Europe represents a multi-billion dollar industry, and the North of England has had a large part to play in that success story.
Even as World War II raged in Europe, world-class work was being developed in one hospital in Manchester, Christies: the first clinical trials that led to life-saving drug treatment for breast cancer.
Over many years, the North of England has built a reputation as the centre of life science excellence in the UK, especially in the areas of biomedical science and technology. Principal strengths of the life science sector are the region’s tissue engineering, cancer and age-related research, world renowned academic and clinical base, as well as developments in bio-manufacturing, medical devices and food/agricultural biotechnology.
An important and impressive group of medical-related companies and expertise exists that have set a solid foundation for the area’s biotechnology companies. The thriving biotechnology community has more than 150 biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies and employs more than 50,000 people. In addition, there is an experienced workforce employed in universities, research institutes and hospitals.
Centres of excellence
Key in the development of the life science environment are the world-class centres of excellence. For example, the North of England is home to the International Centre for Life (ICL) at the University of Newcastle. Established in 1998, and designed to embrace commercial biotechnology, research, entertainment, education and bio-ethics at a single location, the ICL is the only facility of its kind in the world. The centre incorporates three main sections:
- The Institute of Human Genetics, comprising more than 140 geneticists and led by world-class researchers, John Burns and Tom Strachan. IHG specialises in research in the development and transformation of cells and was an instrumental partner in deciphering the human genome.
- The Centre for Reproductive Medicine (CRM) specialises in research and in-vitro fertilisation treatments and is one of only three centres in the UK licensed to use embryonic stem cells.
- The Institute for Ageing and Health (IAH), located at the University of Newcastle, is one of the world’s leading research facilities specialising in cell aging, particularly related to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases of the brain.
In the important area of cancer treatment and age-related diseases, the Christie Hospital NHS Trust in Manchester is an international leader in cancer research and development and is the largest cancer treatment centre of its kind in Europe.
The hospital has had a number of firsts in the world, from the pioneering use of Roentgen X Rays in 1901, to inventing photodynamic therapies for skin cancer in 1996.
Linked to the hospital is the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research – an internationally renowned institute undertaking research into the causes of and treatments for cancer. The institute has an important role in developing the Translational Research Centre. This will include the latest facilities for gene therapy, molecular diagnostics and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic studies.
The Roy Castle International Centre for Lung Cancer Research in Liverpool recently won the award for Best Laboratory at the first Laboratory News Industry Awards. The Liverpool Lung Project aims to find ways of identifying the disease at earlier, more treatable, stages. Research groups within the centre include epidemiology, clinical resources, gene function, genetic instability and molecular cytogenetics.
The Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility is a development between the Wellcome Trust and University of Manchester, creating a state-of-the-art clinical trials centre. The centre hosts an imaging suite and a human performance laboratory, as well as core laboratory services.
The UK Centre for Tissue Engineering is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Department of Clinical Engineering (Liverpool) and the schools of Biological Sciences and Medicine (Manchester). The centre’s remit includes clinical research programs in skin/wound healing, cartilage/intervertebral disc repair and vascular/blood vessel replacement, as well as research into tissue engineering platform technologies, including biomaterials, biocompatibility, haemodynamics, angiogenesis and gene transfer.
The Connective Tissue Research Group at Lancaster University specialises in characterising proteoglycan and glycosaminoglycans in tissues such as cartilage, cornea and brain.
The Yorkshire Tissue Engineering Group, which is made up of Sheffield, York and Leeds universities is a leading interdisciplinary group that represents a range of scientific disciplines, including cell and molecular biology, natural and synthetic biomaterials, bioreactor technologies, engineering and medicine. The group interacts with other groups and networks in the UK, such as the UK Biomaterials Network, the UK Urology Network and the UK Society for Biomaterials.
More than 50% of the UK’s orthopedic implants originate in the North of England. The Medilink Medical Product Innovation Centre draws together the medical resources of the hospitals, universities and manufacturing companies to turn medical innovation into a commercial reality.
Help for companies
A number of incubator facilities in the North of England have been developed, which support innovative research by offering ACDP Cat II and III lab space, wet labs, clean rooms and access to the teaching hospitals and university expertise.
The York BioCentre is a 32,000 sq ft facility adjacent to the University of York complete with laboratory testing and research and development. The MerseyBio Incubator, based in Liverpool, is a newly-completed lab and office space, which can house 280 scientists in post-genomic technologies.
The BioScience Centre at Newcastle houses the Genetic Knowledge Park and Institute for Human Genetics, one of only three UK centres licensed to use of embryonic stem cells.
Support for companies is also offered through The North of England Inward Investment Agency (NoE), an agency of the UK government that works to assist international investment between North America and the North of England. With offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, the NoE’s mission is to assist companies with their investments in the North of England through the following services:
- Advice on financial assistance;
- Market research and analysis;
- Recruitment and training assistance;
- Organisation of company visits;
- Site selection;
- Links with industry and universities;
- Introduction to key professionals.
The North of England’s network of 22 universities and research centres works closely with companies and other research institutions. Successful spin-outs and partnerships have been formed in areas such as bio-informatics, wound healing, tissue engineering and immunodiagnostics. The NoE can assist in accessing information at the region’s universities and research centres.
Interested to find out more? You can easily contact EDB to discuss your interest in Singapore no matter which corner of the world you are in. Contact EDB at one of its overseas offices near you or visit: www.biomed-singapore.com
Singapore Economic Development Board
250 North Bridge Road, #22-00 Raffles City Tower
Singapore 179101
Tel: +65-6336-2288Singapore is gaining a strong reputation as one of the best places in the world to live, work, learn and play. With a stable government, well-trained workforce, excellent healthcare services, good international schools and a high standard of living, many top international talents have been attracted by the rewarding career opportunities available in both industry and academia.
Singapore's skyline
Recognising that innovation and enterprise development add diversity and vibrancy to the biomedical sciences cluster, EDB’s BioMedical Sciences Investment Fund (BMSIF) was set up as a catalyst for Singapore’s biomedical venture capital industry. BMSIF invests selectively in local biomedical ventures as well as key overseas companies who are interested in expanding in Asia, either through the setup of a locally-based subsidiary or joint venture.
There is perhaps no better illustration of Singapore’s commitment to the success of biomedical sciences than its “hardware”. The Biopolis is a new 2 million sq ft R&D complex that will house BMRC’s five biomedical research institutes as well as R&D laboratories of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Biopolis: Singapore’s breeding ground for new research discoveries in Biomedical Sciences
Singapore is also an attractive and strategic location for companies to conduct and manage clinical development activities in Asia. Success factors include its multi-ethnic population, well-developed clinical and regulatory infrastructure, easy access to regional patients as well as strict adherence to international clinical standards.
S*BIO, one of a growing pool of local and international biotechnology companies involved in drug discovery
Eli Lilly and Novartis launched their R&D centres in Singapore in 2002 to focus on systems biology and tropical diseases research respectively. For Eli Lilly, its state-of-the-art Centre for Systems Biology (LSB) in Singapore will look into the development of computational tools for drug discovery. LSB is Lilly’s first systems biology research centre and with a US$140m R&D budget over the next five years. The company plans to leverage on the technologies developed by the centre to enhance and accelerate its drug discovery efforts worldwide.
State of the art: Schering-Plough’s new US$78m tablet manufacturing facility
Since the launch of Singapore’s Biomedical Sciences Initiative in June 2000, the country’s integrated strategy of developing its intellectual, industrial and human capital has made significant progress. In only two years, this approach has made Singapore a leading player in biomedical research and a preferred investment location for international pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology companies. These include Schering-Plough, Wyeth, Siemens, Becton Dickinson, Eli Lilly, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and Johns Hopkins.
Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay
Singapore has positioned itself to be at the forefront of biomedical research. This did not happen overnight. Singapore has spent years developing the right environment to nurture local expertise as well as the infrastructure to lure the top scientific minds and attract the major international biomedical companies.
1 Bresagen, based in Adelaide, South Australia, and its fully-owned US subsidiary BresaGen Inc, based in Athens, Georgia, has made a bold bid to position itself as a leader in the field of stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease. The company’s platform includes everything from how to derive brain progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells, to a catheter that delivers the graft to the brain and the imaging device that monitors them. Last year the company purchased a patent from US company Plurion that covers the generation of human embryonic stem cells and should provide Bresagen with freedom to operate in the US.
Australia has positioned itself firmly in the lead of the race to turn stem cells into effective therapies. Ever a country that loves its races, the latest calls will be broadcast loud and clear at BIO (22-25 June, Washington, DC), the International Congress of Genetics (6-11 July, Melbourne, Australia), AusBiotech, (16-19 August, Adelaide, Australia) and BioPartnering Europe (12-14 October, London, UK).
With legislation in place, the NSCC is set to bring together the country’s scientific and commercial expertise to drive forward the benefits of stem cell research. The centre will be structured as a not-for-profit company, with Alan Trounson as CEO and Dianna de Vore (formerly of Elan Pharmaceutical in San Francisco) as the chief operating officer. While final agreements are still to be negotiated, some 12 research groups and three commercial partners are slated to be part of the centre.
Last December, following intense parliamentary debate, Australia passed stem cell legislation that lies somewhere between the highly restrictive US policy and the more liberal UK policy. The legislation is meticulous but not obstructive to stem cell research.
So much for the history, Australian researchers and companies are running with their lead. Peter Rathjen, at the University of Adelaide, estimates that some 25% of the international research on stem cells is generated in Australia.
One might wonder how Australia reached this ascendant position in the race to claim the therapeutic windfall of stem cell research. Ask any researcher and they will tell you Australia stands out in two areas: its work in IVF and its work in the field of hematopoiesis, the study of how blood is replenished from stem cells. As it happens these talents positioned Australia to leap ahead.
With the announcement by George W Bush in 2001 that Australia would play a major role in US stem cell research, the country was catapulted into the limelight. However, as seems to be the national trait, it has not rested on its laurels but has gone on to cement its place on the world stage with groundbreaking new legislation and the establishment of a visionary National Stem Cell Center.
Arizona’s cancer fighters are targeting a slew of deadly diseases and, more importantly, co-ordinating efforts in a way that has seldom been seen in the industry. Urgency is the motivator here, with the thought that lives can be saved sooner rather than later.
Dr Michael E Berens, CEO of IGC, says word is spreading about Arizona’s leadership and he hopes it will continue. Sparked by the relocation of IGC to Arizona and fostered by the state’s commitment to build on existing bioscience strengths, Arizona’s leadership is further accredited through the linking of widely respected partners under a single goal: the Expression Project for Oncology (expO).
With co-operation increasing, Arizona’s cancer-fighting industry continues attracting top scientific talent. The sense of co-ordination has drawn Dr Jeffrey M Trent to serve as president and scientific director of TGen. Dr Trent is the former scientific director of the National Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health, where he did notable work on mapping the human genome. “Literally the entire state came together to develop a uniform programme and serve as integrator of groups that have existed, but haven’t united,” says Dr Trent. “It’s unusual to find such a high degree of co-operation.”
The Arizona Cancer Center is perhaps the state’s most notable and established cancer laboratory. Dr Lynn Kirkpatrick, CEO of ProlX Pharmaceuticals, a drug maker working with the Center, says that its work is among the most important in the business, calling its scientists a dream team in the cancer-fighting field. “Dr Dan Von Hoff is probably the most respected medical oncologist in the country – and he’s here in Tucson,” says Dr Kirkpatrick.
- The Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, one of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) most prestigious comprehensive centres.
Arizona is catalysing cancer research as bioscience companies move into its expanding bio-corridor. David R Miller and Sandi J Miller report.
