It is widely believed that the industry will have a greater impact on people s lives than is generally realised. In the process, it is going to make shrewd businessmen a great deal of money. The success of biotech within the region will have a major impact on the local economy. Good science will, undoubtedly, be a cornerstone of any success, but good management is critically important, since the riskiness of the industry cannot be overstated. The industry is high risk.
Most biotechnology companies are comparatively small.
Very few employ more than 100 staff and most have considerably fewer employees than this. It is usual for biotechnology companies to spend many years operating at a loss. What is certain is that the industry, forecast to be worth at least 70 billion world wide by the year 2001, is a very significant growth market. This report examines if and how these issues are addressed by the training and business skills needs of biotech companies within the east of England. It is based on a written questionnaire sent to all biotech companies within the region, and was followed up with telephone and face to face interviews.