Besides the coalition in the war with Iraq, ties between the United States and Great Britain have never been stronger. Significant new business initiatives are bridging the Atlantic to create international partnering opportunities.
One is Global Partnerships, an initiative unveiled by the British Government in February at the AAAS Science and Technology conference in Denver. Global Partnerships is a free and confidential service offered by the British Government to facilitate research and development and commercial cooperation between companies from the United Kingdom and around the world.
During a six-month pilot period, Global Partnerships yielded more than 20 potential Trans-Atlantic partnerships. The initiative is suited toward technology companies and other knowledge-driven companies, such as biotechnology.
The UK biotech industry is the second largest in the world after the United States. The United Kingdom accounts for three-quarters of European public biotech companies.
In March, the government also launched a new Web site, www.i-bio.gov.uk, to provide "a single point of access to information from government and research councils and more than 200 other carefully selected Web sources," Science Minister Lord Sainsbury said.
"This new web portal will put information on biotechnology at the fingertips of business, academics, investors and the general public," Sainsbury said. "i-biouk brings together two of the UK’s leading knowledge economy sectors, information technology and biotechnology, to provide a powerful and innovative tool to help the biotech industry to even greater success."
According to the British government, the United Kingdom already funds 4.5 percent of the world's science, produces 8 percent of scientific papers, and receives 9 percent of the citations — all with only 1 percent of the world's population.
The British government is allocating $65 million for stem cell research, $221 million to build on the genomics and proteomics research program to develop new drugs and diagnostic techniques, and $24 million to take advantage of recent advances in brain science.
There is also $187 million for e-science, to develop the computers of tomorrow, and a $98 million expansion for the program to develop new leading edge technologies that can be adapted to a range of scientific and industrial applications. A further $46 million is for research into sustainable energy, and $33 million for using science to help rural Britain.
Historic London Keeps with the Times
London, the essence of historic England and historic Europe, serves as an important high-tech center. During the past five years, London has received more than 15 percent of total European investment in the software and IT services markets, more than any other city in Europe, according to the London First Centre, the inward investment agency for London.
Recognizing advantages to a London location, New York-based Thor Technologies Inc., a provider of enterprise provisioning solutions, opened an office there in March.
"Building on the success we achieved in 2002, we are laying the foundation to extend our global leadership position," said Alberto Yepez, executive chairman of Thor.
Other firms locate elsewhere in Britain, where strengths lie. Santa Clara, Calif.,-based Cardonet opened an office in Brockenhurst, southeast England, to boost its sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Cardonet provides both buying and selling organizations with solutions for developing, managing and distributing electronic databases of product information.
"We are excited about the tremendous potential of the EMEA market," said Itay Meiri, CEO and founder of Cardonet.
Scotland Serves as a Strong Base
According to Scottish Enterprise, Scotland's biotechnology industry is growing at twice the rate of that of any other European country. Investment by U.S. companies is one factor behind this growth, as Scotland has already proven itself to be a center for excellence in research and development.
The launch of the Life Sciences Intermediary Technology institute later this year will see further public support. This year will see the Scottish biotechnology community exceed its own ambitious growth targets set in 1999. In four years, the community has more than doubled in size.
But not all growth industries in Britain are high tech. The call center/shared services industry continues to attract investment.
Recently, JT International, one of the world’s largest tobacco companies, chose to base its European sales and accounting operation in a shared service center at Salford Quays in the North West/Manchester area.
The company, whose head office is in Geneva, chose Salford over a long list of other potential locations.
"Before making this decision, we looked at a certain set of criteria and compared many locations and Manchester best responded to our needs," said Martin Braddock, senior vice president of JTI. "The key criteria such as competitive cost, suitable geographical location, and highly skilled work force in the North West/Manchester area, were among them."
- Karen E. Thuermer
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