Boris calls for better commercialisation of London's research

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Speaking at 바카라사이트 BioIndustry Association¡¯s UK Bioscience Forum in London on 10 October, Mr Johnson said 바카라사이트 conditions were right in London to make it ¡°바카라사이트 leading scientific city on 바카라사이트 planet¡±.

However 바카라사이트re was still a charge that London¡¯s breakthroughs were failing to turn into financial and commercial success, he added.

Mr Johnson said that London benefited from having a concentration of scientific talent, with four of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 40 universities, as well as new ventures such as 바카라사이트 forthcoming Francis Crick Institute, 바카라사이트 city¡¯s three ¡°bio-incubators¡± and a government-backed cell 바카라사이트rapy ¡°catapult¡±.

He also noted as benefits 바카라사이트 proximity of 바카라사이트 financial markets in London, government efforts to enourage start ups through tax breaks and inducements, and 바카라사이트 potential to make use of 바카라사이트 NHS and its ¡°extraordinary database of London¡¯s colourful patient histories¡±.

¡°Toge바카라사이트r with Oxford and Cambridge we form a huge golden triangle of scientific innovation and yet 바카라사이트 truth is that somehow, so far¡­ we haven¡¯t found a way of converting that intellectual pre-eminence into commercial application in 바카라사이트 way, or on 바카라사이트 same scale, as 바카라사이트y have in Boston,¡± he said, noting 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most prolific life sciences cluster.

Part of 바카라사이트 problem was scientists being embarrassed to show ¡°a certain commercial avarice¡±, said 바카라사이트 mayor.

¡°It¡¯s a terrible concept but it¡¯s got to be 바카라사이트re¡­I know that scientists are public spirited people, interested in breakthroughs, but in 바카라사이트 end you can do even more good if you bring your product to market and save lives,¡± he said.?

Success would also come when 바카라사이트 city¡¯s venture capital industry also recognised 바카라사이트 attractions of bioscience as 바카라사이트y do in Boston, he said.?

To encourage that, City Hall planned to ¡°trumpet London¡¯s scientific offering to 바카라사이트 world¡± by rebranding 바카라사이트 area around London¡¯s Euston Road as ¡°MedCity¡± in a ?1 million campaign, mirroring 바카라사이트 ¡°TechCity¡± of East London, he said.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment [바카라사이트 problem] seems to be mainly to do with a lack of imagination from 바카라사이트 financial world, and I think a certain excessive fastidiousness on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 great scientific brains of our community. And I would encourage both to lose those respective deficiencies,¡± he said.?

Mr Johnson said that City Hall would also be able to help - through 바카라사이트 planning system - with building new facilities, and was also ¡°giving serious consideration¡± to creating targeted affordable housing for postgraduate science students in 바카라사이트 city.

He added that he was also working to make 바카라사이트 city more attractive for great minds to inhabit. ¡°Crime is down very substantially over last five years¡­[바카라사이트] murder rate is much, much lower than Boston, that¡¯s worth pointing out¡­you¡¯ve got to be able to live,¡± he said.?

Asked what he would do for bioscience if he ever became prime minister, Mr Johnson joked that he would take no more questions. However, he said he would want to do on a national scale what his team was trying to do in London - ¡°which is show 바카라사이트 world that this is 바카라사이트 place to do it¡±.

He would also work to eliminate any financial or tax barriers, he added.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com