‘Competitiveness’
keyword at BSG launch
Business Strategy Group: McKillop unveils SCI’s new group,
and addresses industry’s failure to promote innovation
 30
November 2004 marked a new drive by the Society of Chemical
Industry with the launch of its new Business Strategy Group,
which aims to foster improved links between scientific and
business communities and interests. The launch, addressed
by current SCI World President and AstraZeneca Chief Executive
Sir Tom McKillop at SCI’s London headquarters, identified
innovation as a key area where science often fails to meet
business and an area the new special interest Group should
encourage to flourish, to the benefit of its members and the
chemistry-based industries at large.
This focus clearly struck a chord with Sir Tom, whose passionate
keynote speech focused on declining European competitiveness.
Identifying a conservative approach to risk and a ‘can’t
be done here’ attitude among Europe’s top industrial,
governmental and regulatory bodies as a key factor in Europe’s
decline in competitiveness, Sir Tom proceeded to endorse and
encourage a more innovation-friendly approach to risk, quipping:
‘You can bet those who discovered fire got their fingers
burnt.’
Risk aversion
The perceived risk aversion among European governments and
regulatory bodies was highlighted by data on R&D spend
in general and in particular in the pharmaceutical industry,
illustrating the changing approach in the past ten years,
in Europe compared to the US, to investment in research (representing
perhaps an attitude more than a guarantee of success) and
in the corresponding market share. Whereas 10–20 years
ago Europe had the largest proportion of market share and
R&D spend in the pharmaceutical industry, the trend in
recent years has changed dramatically, with the US market
share and research spend (by industry as well as government)
in many cases showing growth up to twice that of Europe (as
a percentage of GDP).
‘A more realistic approach to innovation’ is Sir
Tom’s cure for this degenerative disease, which the US
also shows signs of having contracted — a disease that
appears to envelop the more mature, comfortable societies.
We must recognise that with innovation there is an inherent
element of risk. China and India do. By avoiding risk, we
snuff out innovation before it has a chance to develop and
so it becomes difficult to maintain our position as one of
the world’s leaders in science and technology.
American exodus
The Proclaimers’ tale of an exodus to America, including
a curious suggestion of the demise of Sir Tom’s home
town, now seems all too true of Europe’s scientific talent.
A ‘brain drain’ is apparent; half a million European
scientists work in the US. Europe undoubtedly has a lot to
offer, but is it prepared to get its fingers burnt?
By Michael Ellis
Kodak
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