But in London early on Monday, late here on a Sunday night in the US, Prime Minister Theresa May's coalition has begun the "what's next" strategy, with a bang. And, if I might -- it could also be read as Mr. Frazier's snub of 45 -- MSD will open nearly 1,000 new high skilled, life science R&D jobs in a state of the art facility to be built from scratch -- in or near London. If 45 is closing our US points of entry -- at least as to the best and brightest Muslim life-scientists, a simple solution is to open a hub in a more friendly economy: one across the pond, in London. [However, Pfizer's Ian Read -- ever the contrarian -- has recently withdrawn from London, in significant numbers. Go figure, but I might also note that Pfizer lags behind Merck in "next gen" research, despite its significantly larger market cap.]
Thus Merck's MSD UK move will blunt the blow of the departing European Medicines Agency jobs, headed now for Amsterdam, by 2020. [And it is hard to see how 45 can put any positive spin (for his now deeply beleaguered agenda) on the "pin-headed nativism" (or howling primitivism, if you prefer George Will's formulation!) that leads MSD to move these jobs to the UK.]
Here's a bit from The Guardian UK -- one of many news outlets, on it all:
. . . .New investment in the UK by the US-owned life sciences company Merck, known as MSD in Europe, creating 950 jobs, shows the benefits of the sort of partnership between Whitehall, the private sector and universities the government wants to create in its four sector deals, he will say.
“Our life sciences sector is one of the UK’s fastest developing industries, with a turnover in excess of £64bn, employing 233,000 across the UK.
“MSD’s commitment today, and the wider sector deal investment we have secured, proves the process outlined in the industrial strategy can give companies the confidence and direction they need to invest in the UK. It will ensure Britain continues to be at the forefront of innovation and represents a huge vote of confidence in our industrial strategy. . . .”
Now you know -- heading back to the airport for drop offs, in the morning. Sleep well, one and all -- with a big week ahead.
नमस्ते
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