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PROFESSOR RUDDLE WAS A GIANT AMONG MEN, pioneering transgenic studies at Yale University, and his death is the passing of an epoch of great leaps forward. He created the first transgenic mice, leading the way to all manner of advances in knowledge and application. Today, knockout mice, lacking specific disease genes, and an indispensable tool in medical research. He left his mark on the planet. http://lnkd.in/X5EGWx View in LinkedIn

AN ARTICLE SUGGESTING THAT DIFFERENT THINKING IN PHARMA would be valuable, and engaging teams like those inside companies like Google could yield good results. It is true that the typical corporate strategy in Pharma is old hat, and that the tasks at hand are hard: it would be interesting to see fresh thinking, but this is only likely to come from smaller and younger ventures. http://lnkd.in/yNdSA9 View in LinkedIn

A VERY INFORMATIVE ARTICLE ABOUT RAISING CAPITAL, by a veteran. Read, understand, and use this if you are out there raising money. http://lnkd.in/saGh6w View in LinkedIn

CATALUNYA HAS ABOUT 46,000 R&D staff and Barcelona has a worldwide ranking of No 12 in terms of scientific production, making it No 5 in Europe. By contrast, Boston ranks No 6 worldwide in scientific production. Catalunya boasts world class facilities including a brand new Synchrotron, two Supercomputing centers, and a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Lab among others. View in LinkedIn

ERRATUM!! WORLDWIDE B SCHOOL RANKINGS: Barcelona's IESE No 9; Oxford University's Said B School No 20; Cambridge University's Judge B School No 26; Barcelona's ESADE B School No 33. Previous posting confounded EC and World rankings. My apologies. View in LinkedIn

CATALUNYA HAS 247,500 STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITIES, and boasts two top business schools. Barcelona's IESE Business School ranked No 9, and ESADE Business School No 33, worldwide in 2012. By comparison, Oxford University's Said Business School ranked No 7, and Cambridge University's Judge Business School ranked No 8 worldwide in the sane year. These sources of bright young talent have significantly contributed to the entrepreneurial spirit in the Catalan region. View in LinkedIn

CATALUNYA GENERATES ONE FIFTH OF SPAIN's GDP (Catalan Government 2012). This includes 18.4% os Spain's SMEs, which are entrepreneurial in nature, and about the same percent of Spanish companies headquartered in Catalunya. This has been achieved with a population a little smaller than Israel (7.5 M) or only 15% of Spain's population. With a world-class university system, top rated hospitals, and an infrastructure of tech parks, it is no surprise it is a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit. Come to Barcelona on business first, leisure second! View in LinkedIn

ISRAEL, THE START UP NATION with a tiny population of 8 M, is number 1 in device patents, and reportedly has a staggering 29,000 medical trials in progress in stem cells according to this article. These statistics prove what can be done with a smart and motivated population, that punches far beyond its weight. http://www.nzweek.com/world/israeli-bio-tech-and-medical-devices-industries-one-of-worlds-most-innovative-52712/ View in LinkedIn

PUBLIC GOOD GOOD TRUMPS PRIVACY ISSUES for large scale epidemiological studies such as UK's BioBank and Affymetrics' prospective study of genotypes. There are some European countries whose legislation prevents even identification-redacted patient samples being used in research, and this is plain backward. The public health benefits from large studies must come first. http://lnkd.in/A8uU_h View in LinkedIn

JAPAN'S INCJ IS A 21 BN USD VC FUND, surely one of the largest in the history of VC funds, constructed a few years ago by public-private money to revive the Japanese economy. This immense fund covers all area, and is designed to overcome 'Not Invented Here' paralysis that has been common in Japan recently. This very bold initiative again proves that Japan can respond to a big crisis in very forceful and creative ways. View in LinkedIn