Category: Uncategorized

THE ROVING KNIFE SHARPENER I MET HAD A LARGE TERRITORY ranging up and down the Spanish coast. This charming afilador had a small motorcycle rigged to also run his sharpening wheel, and he lived and . worked on this ancient motor. It was a throwback to a time bygone. Up and down the coast he had known customers for his entire life, often obtaining food and shelter in exchange for his services. A remarkable man, and a remarkable life. View in LinkedIn

CATALUNYA BOASTS A PROUD FOOD CULTURE, but there are traditional recipes that may die out. When we arrived, my wife and I dined at the famous Aigua Blava Hotel, and I ordered 'cod guts and pheasant'. I was sure that the translation had gone awry, and while waiting for the mystery dish to emerge, I asked the waiter if this may indeed be the case. Somewhat offended, he assured me this was not so, and I was subsequently given the recipe ( in Catalan). It proved to be spectacular, and prompted me to start collecting such gems. View in LinkedIn

ARRIVING IN LONDON IS ALWAYS A MIXED FEELING. This historic and remarkable city was once, somewhat briefly, my home. I have deep associations with it, and the surrounding counties where I lived for two and a half decades. But I am not treated as a Brit any more. Within seconds, taxi drivers will ask where I am from in the US, and I defensively offer to show my 'other' passport. But the truth is I am more Californian than British, and now for my sins, am posing as a Spaniard (badly). View in LinkedIn

SHARED DECISION MAKING APPS FOR NHS. http://lnkd.in/EBacmk View in LinkedIn

WEARABLE AND IMPLANTABLE MEDICINE OF THE FUTURE is the prediction of some Futurists. We are already seeing some of these elements developing. Enhanced APIs? Making Good Drugs Better? Compliance is at the heart of these clever initiatives, and will require our belabored Pharma friends to change the front end (sales and marketing) of their business as well as the back end (research). Big changes. http://lnkd.in/8qz9qs View in LinkedIn

EXECUTIVES WITH JAPAN'S BIOTECH INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (JBA) discussed with me the issues they face. Despite creating hundreds of startups, and Bioclusters, they need a success. Their international BioJapan conference has a low participant to meeting ratio, and needs more international delegates. Japan is new to partnering. They are making strong efforts to connect to other Bioclusters worldwide. They recognize that Japan is a tough place for foreigners to navigate, and acknowledge that help is needed. The language and complexity of transportation require a local guide to help foreigners. View in LinkedIn

THE GREAT LEROY HOOD CALLS IT "P4 MEDICINE" basically predictive, preventative and participatory. This paradigm shift of Western medicine will be huge, and some believe it is just around the corner. No longer waiting until the sick patient shows up, but now using predictive data from gene sequencing to plan preventative lifestyles with the participation of the patient. Watch this space. http://lnkd.in/8qz9qs View in LinkedIn

THE FOUNDER OF JAPAN'S 22 Bn USD INCJ VC FUND is a super-smart man of about 47. Over lunch, Mr Sato disclosed to me some of the issues they face to innovate the economy. First, entrepreneurial talent is hard to find. Big company experts do not always learn to be entrepreneurs. Like Spain, the word ambition is synonymous with greed, and the nail that sticks up gets hammered in these group-centric family based societies. He believes that 'networking horizontally' across disciplines will bear fruit. He is focused on the early stage life science ecosystem, especially pluripotent stem cells. View in LinkedIn

PANEL DISCUSSES THE CAMBRIDGE BIOCLUSTER PHENOMENON: A MUST-READ! View in LinkedIn

JAPAN'S RANKING AS THE THIRD WORLD ECONOMY after the US snd China is remarkable for a population of 127 M living on an island s bit smaller than California. After the devastation of the war, they decided that hard work was the sacrifice required to rebuild their society. Along with only 1% of GDP going to military costs, they entered a three decade period of unprecedented growth, slowing in the 1990s. The Innovation Network Corporation of Japan's (INCJ) was recently created to stimulate the economy. As a 22 Bn USD VC fund it is the largest in the world. Plus doubling the money supply. Bold! View in LinkedIn