Six states make up the New England area of the United States - Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine with a population of 13.5 million people in total. These states are geographical neighbours, lying as they do on the north-eastern seaboard of the country. Their proximity to Canada means they can take advantage of that huge bilateral trade relationship - the largest in the world. In 1995 the trade amounted to $334 billion. New England is part of the oldest settlement of the United States and is steeped in history, culture and tradition. There is also a fine tradition of academic excellence, of government investment and industrial innovation, which has created great wealth in the region. In fact, it has one of the highest rates of per capita income in the US despite having little in the way of natural resources. And New York State itself is the world's 10th largest economy and is home to 300 public and private colleges and universities.

Academic excellence - institutes of higher learning

New England boasts the oldest universities in the United States and some of the most prestigious centres of learning in the world. Cambridge, Massachusetts is home to Harvard University and New Haven, Connecticut home to Yale University. Boston University and Woods Hole Research Institution are also world-class institutions. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston is renowned for its record in science and technology. Its mission statement declares it embraces 'education with relevance to the practical world' and this has shown itself in MIT's importance to the state as a whole. In 1997 the BankBoston Study found that there are 1025 MIT-related companies in the state employing 125,000 people. That makes up 10 per cent of the state's economy. And their Industrial Liaison Program enables firms to draw on MIT's expertise.

The University of Connecticut established its Biotechnology Centre in 1986 in Storrs, CT. It was developed with a grant from the Department of Higher Education and aims to assist the development of biotechnology in the state of Connecticut. It has five core facilities and has established world-wide pre-eminence in analytical ultracentifugation. The centre has a training programme, developed with the help of the university, which aims to help biotechnology companies. It offers industry state of the art equipment to produce microbial cells and the help of trained personnel.

The University of Vermont is also at the forefront of biotechnology in the United States. It attracts a very high rate of government funding and is in fact in the top 100 of universities for government research funding. The university has instituted HELIX, the Hughes Endeavour for Life Science Excellence which encourages students to take up life science research and establishes contact between scientists and students.

New York's Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research has invested $120 million into research universities in the state. The state government has also established 14 Centers for Advanced Technology (CATS) based at universities throughout New York State. They help to form partnerships between academic institutions and business and have been a great success in aiding life sciences start up companies.

Biotechnology networking

New England is proud to have many organisations dedicated to helping link academic institutions with government and legislative departments and industry. Connecticut United for Research Excellence (CURE) is one such organisation. It was formed in 1990 as a non-profit centre of the Connecticut BioScience cluster. Since 1996 it has increased R&D spending by 46 per cent and employment in the biotechnology industry has risen 29 per cent. Cure provides a forum for research organisations to exchange information and it provides information to the public, to government and to journalists. It is divided into five main councils: bioethics and clinical research; business development and technology transfer; education and training; public relations and research methods. Cure currently has 90 members ranging from research institutions, government agencies and hospitals. It has clearly demonstrated the significance of biotechnology to the state of Connecticut and in 1997 the state adopted the policy of industry clustering to support emerging economic groups such as bioscience. In 1998 there were 7000 jobs in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

In a similar vein, the New Hampshire Biotechnology Council promotes the life sciences in its own state. Headquartered in Portsmouth, NH, it was created in 1999 as a partnership of industry, government and education. It provides assistance to start-up companies, and fosters the growth of the educational infrastructure. A similar organisation is the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. Founded in 1985 it is a non-profit trade organisation representing biotechnology companies in Mass. It currently has 280 members.

The New York Biotechnology Association is one of the largest and most effective regional industry associations in the country. It is a non-profit organisation with 230 members dedicated to forming networks between academia, government and industry.

World-class biotechnology companies

As a result of such favourable business conditions, New England has seen a huge growth in biotechnology companies. The multinational pharmaceutical company Pfizer opened a research facility in Groton, Conn in 1960 where the anti-viral drug Trovan was discovered, developed and manufactured in 1998. Pfizer, named by Forbes Magazine as the 1999 company of the year, is the producer of world famous drugs such as Viagra, for erectile dysfunction, and Viracept for the treatment of HIV. Early next year, Pfizer plan to open a new research facility in New London, Conn. Pfizer currently employs 3700 people in the state of Connecticut.

The German drug company Bayer, makers of the wonder-drug Aspirin, has invested $80 million in an expansion of its research facility in West Haven, Conn.

Biogen is based in Cambridge, MA employs 900 people in its five facilities. It was founded by Nobel prize winners Phillip Sharp and Walter Gilbert and in 1996 launched the drug Avonex (Interferon beta-1a) which is used by multiple sclerosis sufferers world-wide. In 1998 Biogen won the US National Medal of Technology and in 2000 its net income was $68 million.

Maine Biotech Services was founded in 1990 and supplies the immunobiology needs of various research organisations The company offers polyconal and monoclonal antibodies for commercial and research applications.

Bristol Myers Squib, which has a facility in Wallingford, CT, is the leading producer of therapies for cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases.

New York leads the nation with 59 Fortune 500 companies siting their headquarters there. The state can also boast 270 life sciences companies within its borders. The state government is assisting technology firms by establishing two new tax credits and The Technology Development Organisation has been set up to help start-up companies. The state is currently establishing a life sciences corridor to help clusters of biotechnology companies network with institutes of learning and research.

These are just some of the many hundreds of biotechnology companies that have made their home in New England. Along with so many fine academic institutions and networking organisations, this part of the world looks set for a bright future.