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What obstructions stand in the way of our universities in their endeavours to develop higher courses in Veterinary medicine cannot be realised by Parliament and the general public. These obstructions are due to the continued existence of regulations which should have been swept away long ago, and, I must add, to the most regrettable inertia of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. It is intolerable that courses of instruction rendering a candidate eligible to practise as a veterinary surgeon can only be given by the universities of this country provided they receive the approval of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Large established corporations face many challenges to develop and sustain dynamic capabilities in innovation and the creation of new businesses because of constraints arising from technological and resource lock-ins, and routine and cultural rigidities. From the 1960s large corporations became increasingly aware of such problems. Heavy research spending was not translated into successful new business creation. The formation of autonomous entrepreneurial units within large corporations was one response. The origins of Unilever's home pregnancy test, Clearblue, which was launched in 1985, is used as a case study to examine the viability of one version of this strategy. Unilever was able to translate its extensive knowledge base in immunology into a successful branded product in medical diagnostics by creating a separate corporate entity, Unipath, with a distinctive culture, shielded from the mainstream Unilever organisation, yet able to draw on corporate capabilities in marketing, and financial resources. Yet the very distinctiveness of Unipath orphaned it within Unilever, and the business was divested in 2001., The relative ability of different sizes of firm and organisational designs to develop and sustain dynamic capabilities in innovation and create new businesses remains a matter of contention. While Chandler [...]

The detonation of atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 announced to the world the arrival of the 'atomic age'. Twelve years later, a [...]

Byline: Alison Kraft, Harry Rothman This paper tracks the development of genomics between 1990 and 2005 principally within the US context and reviews that development with specific respect to early expectations of genomics-based pharmaceutical innovation, the initial claims made for it, and the realities of its current position. Emphasis is placed on relations between the genomics sector and its larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology counterparts, and to the financial markets on which drug innovation ultimately rests. The analysis combines historical and sociological approaches to the study of innovation, and situates genomics within the wider context of the commercialisation of the life sciences. In particular, we highlight and reflect critically on the disparity between the expectations and 'hype' surrounding genomics, and assess its impact, to date, on pharmaceutical innovation.

In 1904, Liverpool veterinary school became the first UK veterinary school to be incorporated into a university. This weekend, it marks its centenary with a symposium celebrating veterinary science and its contribution to animal and human health and welfare. Here, Alison Kraft traces the history of the school and argues that its foundation was a turning point for veterinary education in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]