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When Irish Eyes Are Smiling HE ECONOMY IN THE U.S. IS HAVING at the Higher Education Authority, proproblems getting firmly back on vides sizable block grants to universities in track. First-quarter sales and earnIreland to build their infrastructure. One ings for chemical, pharmaceutical, and biosuch grant went to University College pharmaceutical companies—reported on Dublin to establish a Centre for Synthesis pages 20-25—show a mixed picture that & Chemical Biology The center has 37 inreflects just how difficult these times are. vestigators from a wide variety of UCD's departments (chemistry, biochemistry miIn addition to the facts, sentiment also crobiology, and chemical ensupports this picture. At the gineering), as well as from Palladium Medal dinner last Trinity College Dublin and week in N e w a r k City honthe Royal College of Suroring Crompton's Vincent A. geons. Construction begins Calarco, chemical industry in June on a 10 million-euro executives told me they are building; existing labs will alnot optimistic about an upso be refurbished. The goal turn in the immediate future. of this center is to put IreThe latest problem is severe land on the cutting edge of acute respiratory syndrome, an area of research highly which is having a devastating valued by the pharmaceutieconomic impact on Asia and NO BLARNEY Sixty cal industry Fourteen of the is expected to affect demand shades of green include world's top 15 pharmaceutifor many chemical products. the color of money. cal companies already have The U.S. is not alone in its operations in Ireland. economic struggles. On a trip to Ireland earlier this month to give the keynote speech A relative newcomer, Science Foundaat the annual meeting of the Institute of tion Ireland gives grants to both individual Chemistry of Ireland, I read and watched investigators at universities and to unia wide variety of European news media. versity-industry consortia. While I was in Every European economy is struggling, inDublin, SFI Director General William C. cluding Ireland's, which saw phenomenal Harris announced awards of 42 million eugrowth in the 1990s. One Irish wag told the ros to create new world-class research cenNew York Times-. "The Irish economy is not ters for science, engineering, and technola Celtic tiger anymore. It's a pussycat." ogy The centers will link universities with the world's leading research corporations 'Yet I was impressed with Ireland's plans and some of Ireland's most promising comto get its tiger roaring again. Ireland's 60 panies. These awards build on investments shades of green include the color of monof more than 150 million euros that SFI ey: The island of 4 million people wants to has made since 2001. be the place for industrial investment, and the government is investing money to bring At the Institute of Chemistry of Irein money land annual meeting, I was particularly impressed by the talks from industry leaders At Ireland's Investment & Development and with the extent of investment in Agency CEO Sean Dorgan told me that he biotechnology and pharmaceutical rewants foreign investors to think of Ireland search by Irish and multinational compaas more than "just a manufacturing site. The nies. Wyeth, for example, is building the strengths we had 10 years ago are not the largest biopharmaceutical facility in the same as what we need now or in the future." world in Grange Castle. Ireland was successful in attracting manufacturing facilities because of tax credits, Sometime soon, I expect that the Celtic low wages, and an educated workforce. tiger will be roaring again. If Ireland is sucNow, unemployment in Ireland is only cessful in carrying out all of the goals that 4.5%, and Asia offers lower wages. Dorgan my newfound Irish friends described, Irish correctly anticipates that Ireland's induseyes will be smiling, and the government trial future depends more on knowledgecan take credit for investing in its major based activities than on manufacturing. asset—people. Thus, the government not only is trying to have attractive investment policies, but also is investing heavily in education. Eucharia Meehan, head of research programs Editor-in-chief
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