Bio-Colossus 3-David Mach
It is stimulating (Please not to confuse with stimulus plans or whatever) to discover the strength of new approaches to the progress of economy and the human being in general terms. This is the case of the biomedical field, which is opening a new frontier to the extension of life and to the development of a economic sector with a huge future. Far from expired economic recipes recommending to insist in public expenditure, financial engineering or real state, this sector shows that the next economic lanscape will be linked to serious Research, Development and Innovation, where science plays a major role. In a similar way than the renewable energy sector (but with less protectionism and ideological bias), the biomedical field is emerging in several developed countries and obtaining big investments from entrepreneurial institutions. In fact, many Governments are working desperately to set up biomedical clusters in their areas, but it is not only a matter of money and facilities. Highly educated human capital has the key to success in this sector and a long experience in medical sciences and engineering are also needed. You cannot improvise.
Nevertheless, the topic is so popular on the block and strategists are looking for the best roadmap to create a biomedical matrix to compete in the new economic league. It is understandable, because as members of The Stockholm Network point out,
“Biomedical innovation, including advances in biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, is at the heart of human society, not least because this type of innovation helps to save lives and to improve the quality of life. Furthermore, it is one of the major drivers of the modern market economy”.
In From Test Tube to Patient –National Innovation Strategies for the Biomedical Field, authors offer several recommendations to those public policy officials who want to create or improve their opportunities to establish a proper environment for the development of the biomedical sector. We can summarize the main ones:
1. To set up a quality research and development infraestructure, in terms of human capital, technology and facilities.
2. To promote R&D in the biomedical field and to favour basic research and technology transfer.
3. To protect Intellectual Property and provide a legal framework which do not constrain the work with hard regulatory procedures or public intervention.
4. To promote private investment in R&D on the biomedical field. Authors believe public support should not restrain entrepreneurs and researchers free initiative.
I could add another one: do not think about celebrating any Copenhagen Summit over the global development of the biomedical sector.
Categories: Healthcare · Political Economy
Tagged: biomedical, entrepreneurship, future_of_the_economy, Stockholm-network, think_tank
Death and Taxes, by Curious Spider in Flickr
Taxes! Taxes! Everybody hates them but they are as necessary as the air we breathe. However, it is hard to know taxation is growing all the time, beyond the good or bad economic environment. Modern Democracy is a thirsty monster who always asks for more money, more civil servants, more resources. Although we constantly create new public needs to solve public problems, the middle taxpayer feels things could be better. In fact, citizens believe public budget should be managed more efficiently. It is not an easy task as officials keeping the money depend on the increase of resources to survive. To play a political role is nowadays a professional career and no one wants to retire at 45. I would like, but I am not a politician. Keep reading →
Categories: General · Political Economy
Tagged: fiscal_neutrality, fiscal_policy, social_market_foundation, think_tank, United_Kingdom
Kropotkin according to SergeyRod
We can decide whether to maintain our old and no perfect market economy or looking for new paradigms. It is not an easy task as Masters of the Universe prefer to live in cyclical crisis which is very profitable for them. If economy shows a positive balance, they win. If economy is going down to the Hell, they win. On the contrary, ordinary people do not perform very well. They are being pushed to run in a bigger wheel of consumption and debt that is causing domestic bankruptcy for generations. And do not mention the rampant public debt. Keep reading →
Categories: Political Economy
Tagged: anarconomy, Copenhagen_institute_for_future_studies, financial_crisis, public_debt
The short term and populist politics our politicians are used to practise is delaying the end the global crisis. They are not the only factor of the solution, but their fear to face the real problems of the economic system is causing so much pain in our societies. At the moment, the only big action they have taken is to increase the public expenditure as it is an easy and popular policy. Keep reading →
Categories: Political Economy
Tagged: crisis, Heritage, Keynesianism, Public_deficit, public_sector, think_tank
Soft power by Cinderellusion in Flickr
When the EU began its big enlargement, many people thought it was rising the new superpower, also in military terms. USA was not going to be the only policeman on the block. However, leaders of the EU have preferred to maintain the influence in the field of soft power. As Charles Grant, Director of the Centre for European Reform, says, “although the Union is respected for its prosperity and political stability, it no longer loooks like a power in the making”. Keep reading →
Categories: International Relations
Tagged: International_Relations, think_tank
In the last post I was reflecting on the nature of think tanks and suddenly, I have found another comment, more authoritative than my writings, about the factor of independence to the survival of a real think tank. It comes from John Blundell, current General Manager of the Institute of Economic Affairs, who has spent his whole professional life advocating the need of having strong and independent think tanks in the public policy arena. He knows well what he says as he has been fighting to maintain the intellectual legacy of one of most outstanding institutes of the world. I think he has been successful. Keep reading →
Categories: Political Philosophy
Tagged: Institute_of_Economic_Affairs, John_Blundell, think_tank
Credit crunch has also brought a negative situation to the funding resources of many think tanks. The environment is being worse for those institutes that receive the bigger part of their funds from corporations and act more as lobbies than as independent research centres. Keep reading →
Categories: Political Philosophy
Tagged: Robert S. Brookings, think_tank
