We've been waiting for this announcement for a long time. At long last, a builder has been chosen to build the East River Science Park in Manhattan. NY Times article is here. As I've said many times, incubator space is critical for promoting the growth of life science clusters. More space = more companies = more jobs and investment opportunities. Quotes:
"We know that biotechs tend to cluster around great academic
institutions, so why not New York?" said Harold Varmus, president of
Memorial Sloan-Kettering.
Dr. Varmus added, "I hope this will change the city's image, and
make people feel this is a place where biotech is and wants to be."
Mr. Marcus said living expenses and commercial rents in Manhattan,
even if they are higher than elsewhere, would not deter biotechnology
companies.
"Our experience in every major life science market in this country
is that the cost of high-quality commercial entities is not the most
critical aspect," he said. "It actually is location."
This, however, drives me a little crazy:
Mr. Bloomberg acknowledged that the city, at least for now, would be at
a disadvantage when it came to attracting companies engaged in
embryonic stem cell research.
So what? C'mon guys! There is an enormous amount of research that continues to be done in the absence of embryonic stem cells. Why is this a hindrance to progress? There is an excellent series of articles on this very issue in the latest issue of Tech Valley Times, including an article by yours truly. Check it out.
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