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LIFE SCIENCE CLUSTERS opportunities LIFESCIENCELEADER.COM MARCH 2015 50 As the landscape of the biopharmaceutical industry expands into growing regions, an exciting transformation is beginning to transfer commercialization "recipes" to emerging markets. All eyes are on small, specialty, and midsize players emerging at the forefront of innovation in the mature regions of Europe and the United States. R O G E R H U M P H R E Y A Recipe For Life Sciences Commercialization By R. Humphrey A RECIPE FOR LIFE SCIENCES COMMERCIALIZATION A t the global level, the BRICK countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Korea are aggressively investing in R&D;, facilities, and scientist training, and vying for bigger roles not only as markets for medicines, but also as rich breeding grounds for R&D; and manu- facturing. INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER Successfully transitioning from bench to marketplace requires the support of a complex web of ancillary businesses, particularly for those companies that are scaling up rapidly. Mature life sci- ences clusters like San Francisco's Bay Area, for instance, offer vibrant financial, legal, marketing, and logistics infrastruc- tures that further the industry's success. Some emerging markets have recognized this dynamic and are developing their own clusters accordingly, purposefully recruiting supporting businesses to life sciences research and development parks, and creating initiatives to help businesses with the commercialization process, according to JLL's 2014 Global Life Sciences Cluster Report. Japan is one of the markets hungry to become a leader. The Japanese govern- ment is aiming to make Tsukuba Science City its flagship science and technology hub and a global center for public-private basic research partnerships in such areas as microbiology, next-generation cancer therapy, and plant genetics. Japan's Revitalization Strategy and the Healthcare and Medical Strategy, released in June 2013, will further support companies' efforts to strengthen R&D; capacity, streamline approval processes, and commercialize innovations in regenerative medicine. The United Kingdom, already a leading cluster, recently funded an initiative to attract more companies to the "golden tri- angle" encompassing London, Cambridge, and Oxford. The goal is to facilitate collaboration between the cities and the U.K. academic research base and to reinforce specialist infrastructure. Ontario Canada's Centre for Com- mercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) is a network of academics, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs working together to accelerate the com- mercialization of stem-cell and bioma- terials technologies. CCRM was part of the March 2014 renewal of an agreement with China to strengthen collaborations and fund new ideas and technologies. PUBLIC SECTOR INVESTMENT Low corporate tax structures, clear and developed regulatory frameworks, and minimal administrative obstacles are all critical to small and midsize enterprises, where so much of the growth in life sciences is occurring. Competitive tax rates lure life sciences companies of all sizes to certain regions, giving them the flexibility to put those extra resources toward other pur- poses. Many large pharmaceutical companies have moved manufacturing sites to Ireland, for instance, where the corporate tax rate is among the lowest in the world. Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Korea, the Netherlands, and Israel also offer attractive tax rates. Depending on what a company needs, however, other advantages may outweigh the tax burden. Despite having relatively high corporate tax rates, countries such as the United States, Germany, and Japan continue to be very attractive to many