California's Biotech Industry
Several major biotechnology hubs exist in North America, one of which can be found on the US west coast, in California. Previously well-known for it's high tech industry, and the famous Silicon Valley, California governments and business leaders appear to present a united effort to create a similar atmosphere of research and discovery for biotech. According to the publically funded TV show, California Connected, 26% of all US biotech firms are located in California and they collectively earn 53% of national biotech revenues.
Proposition 71 was a major initiative that has had an impact on the population of biotech firms and spurred many, such as Advanced Cell Technology, to relocate to California. The "Stem Cell Initiative" is legislation earmarking $3 billion over 10 years (from 2006) for stem cell research in California.
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I wish African countries can take after California. Africa is engaged in an unnecessary and misplaced debate about biotechnology. Except South Africa and in small measure, Burkina Faso(see this video on the Conversations About Plant Biotechnology website), African countries would,for instance,not touch genetically modified crops. This is despite the fact that these crops have proved a boon to the economies of countries like China, India, Argentina, and Brazil. When will Africa ever learn ? Doesn’t Africa know that technologies such as agricultural biotechnology hold the key to its future prosperity? I have always argued in my blog, GMO Africa, that Africa will remain poor as long as it continues to stone-wall on novel technologies.