Issue link: https://industrialmanagement.epubxp.com/i/249982
creating the perfect recipe for a worldchanging biotech cluster. Not only will the cluster create many lifesaving drugs and medical products, but it also will bring capital and jobs to the country that hosts it. The window of opportunity for hosting will be open only for so long, and the nation that controls the cluster will gain a significant head start in the field of biotechnology. It is uncertain why clusters form where they do, but there are two steps a country can take to increase the likelihood of building a biotech cluster. The first is to build a genomic database because genomic medicine is highly data driven. The database should include information in areas such as disease outbreaks, family history and environmental exposures. Plunkett Research predicts that advances in systems biology – the use of molecular diagnostics, advanced computers and genetic databases – may lead to faster and cheaper drug development. Researchers now use genetic databases of virus sequences to try to predict which virus will cause the next epidemic. The second step a country can take to kick-start a cluster's development is to offer a cluster-conducive environment through legislation and capital. For example, government can offer tax incentives and can build labs with equipment that normally would cost too much for a small enterprise to buy. Brazil, Singapore, China and India have invested heavily in biotechnology. China, for example, has built about 10 large science parks and many smaller ones, as well as provided tax benefits and grants. The government also has invested in young biotech companies and subsidized the costs of facilities. Brazil plans to reduce bureaucratic restrictions on research and development and incentivize academic and industrial collaboration. As recommended during Industrial Management's first Global Tectonics article on biotechnology in 2005, "With so many possibilities and the Privacy, genetic databases and curing disease Through the Million Veteran Program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is collecting blood samples and health and lifestyle information from veterans to build a genetic database. The database will help researchers learn how genes affect health. Iceland, far ahead of the curve, started collecting the genetic information of its population starting in the late 1990s and successfully identifed the genetic causes of several diseases. The database, however, was never completed due to privacy and consent problems. expensive nature of R&D;, countries would do well to concentrate their research dollars on developing areas of niche expertise and build critical alliances with other countries to share knowledge, resources and risk." In particular, "developed countries would do well to establish partnerships with research centers in poorer places as part of their foreign assistance packages." The developed country benefits with lower costs and the developing country benefits from the capital investment and knowledgeexchange. Besides government, companies can support cluster growth by working with other companies. Pfizer has shared software for biotech drug research with some of its competitors, such as GlaxoSmithKline and Roche, in an effort to overcome technical obstacles. Pharmaceutical companies recognize the scientific benefits of information sharing. Catching up to the speed of innovation Every so often, we read headlines such as "Researchers grow human brains in a lab" and "Hello mothers, hello father," that leave us curious and terrified. The first article is about the use of stem cells to grow brains for research purposes. The second is about Neither regulation nor society has caught up with the speed of invention in terms of health, legal, moral and religious ramifications. the combination of DNA from two women and one man to create a baby free of mitochondrial diseases. Biotech is a field filled with controversial subjects, and our typical response is to fight against ideas we find unnatural. Biotech, however, has been used for centuries in making wine, beer and cheese, and in crossbreeding plants. The invention of the microscope gave us increased understanding of the cell and sped up innovation. But neither regulation nor society has caught up with the speed of invention in terms of health, legal, moral and religious ramifications. We do not yet know the long-term effects biotech will have on our health and the environment. Issues related to privacy and insurance practices are bound to arise. However, biotechnology holds great promise in mitigating a number of global problems, including disease, pollution and hunger, if implemented properly and with appropriate risk management. To develop public trust in GM crops, governments likely will implement regulations to control misuse, and corporations must develop transparency protocols. Biotechnology will transform our lives during the next 25 years. To guide its development, biotech companies will work together and governments will support biotechnology's growth. v january/february 2014 15