REGIONAL and national governments around the world see biotechnology as the major industry for the 21st century. Large amounts of public funds are ploughed into developing local biotechnology industries to gain a piece of the action. In some US states, such as Michigan, the huge windfalls generated by tobacco industry lawsuits are being partly directed towards building the infrastructure for a burgeoning bioscience industry. Meanwhile, last month’s bioindustry jamboree, BIO 2003 in Washington DC, was host to hordes of inward-investment agencies from every corner of the globe, all trying to entice bioscience companies into their region.
This public expenditure comes…
