MAIN PAGE | EVENTS & PROGRAMS | 2001 | IGM | SPEECHES | ERNEST MICEK
PACIFIC BASIN ECONOMIC COUNCIL
MAIN PAGE | EVENTS & PROGRAMS | 2001 | IGM | SPEECHES | ERNEST MICEK
Regional Vitality in the 21st Century
April 6-10, 2001 — Tokyo, Japan
Mr. Ernest Micek
Good afternoon and welcome, I'm Ernie Micek, recently retired Chairman of Cargill. I am filling in for Dr. Chen from China who is unable to come. So I've quickly hurriedly put some notes together but I'm quite familiar with this subject because I've worked for a long time for a company that has had considerably experience in dealing with the consequences of a developing technology. By that I mean we had to deal with our seed business that was slow in adapting to new technology. Round up ready soy beans and BT corn, we did not have that technology so we couldn't compete so we elected to sell the business. I was also CEO when I received word that a delegation from Green Peace had chained their little boat or dinghy to the rudder of our ocean going vessel that was passing through the gates at Antwerp, Belgium. I got that call on Christmas Eve on 1998, I'll never forget it. But my exposure has not been limited to just that at Cargill or the food industry, I am a trustee of the University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation or UWARF as it is called. It's an organization that patents and licenses technology developed at the University of Wisconsin. We have the process for isolating stem cells from human embryos, for example, that is creating yet another type of debate. First today I will introduce the three speakers/panelists and then I will make a few additional opening remarks followed by the three presentations. Then I believe there should be ample time for questions and hopefully some answers. First off I would like to introduce Mr. Stephan Wellink. He is the Principal Commercial Advisor for the Agribusiness Alliance at the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization which is Australia's premier industrial research institution. There he provides high-level commercial advice to the Australian government as well as to the executive committee and senior management. He has been active in international business since 1984 and has negotiated commercial arrangements in Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, North America and Europe. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Science and Chemistry and a Bachelors of Arts in Archaeology. During his career, he has been a Research Scientist at Unilever, Senior Manager at ICI, Australia, General Manager of a pharmaceutical company called Biogland Laboratories and General Manager of the commercial arm of the University of Newcastle. We are also pleased today to have Mr. Nagasaka who is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Japan's Banyu Pharmaceutical company. Before attaining the position in June of last y ear, he was President, Executive Vice President and Senior Executive Director. Mr. Nagasaka previously worked at the Bank of Japan which he joined in 1959, a good year I might say and he served over the years as European Deputy Chief Representative and as its head of its management planning and bank supervision departments. He graduated from the faculty of law at the University of Tokyo in March 1959. And then we have John Falloon, he has had a number of assignments in New Zealand, and has his roots as a farmer and so I think he will have some important things to say on this subject. I must admit that the continuing fear over biotechnology is perplexing when the potential benefits are so immense. I start from the general premise that genetically altered food is good because it can provide health, economic and environmental benefits. But the opponents to this new rapidly evolving technology have a well-orchestrated campaign to discredit the growing list of benefits through misinformation and scare tactics. Some start with the argument that this is interfering with the natural order of God's plan but whatever the point of view, the global debate about the safety of genetically modified crops and animals shows no signs of easing. I believe biotechnology represents one of the greatest sources of untapped knowledge for improving the lives of millions of people yet it has been the target of all kinds of skepticism and criticism. An editorial not long ago in The Wall Street Journal made the point well, it asked us to imagine what the world would be like today if the automobile had been banned in Henry Ford's time because people would be killed in car accidents. So now I would like to start with our three panelists. Stephan. Thank you. Now we turn from to pharmaceuticals, Mr. Nagasaka please. Thank you Mr. Nagasaka for a very fine presentation and for a visionary approach to the future for a biotech island. Now we'd like to have John Falloon give us his point of view both from a governmental side and perhaps from his practical approach from agriculture. Thank you, we'll now open the floor for questions. Well, in summary, I think we are seeing a biological revolution and it's probably threatening to make the information technology changes appear minor. Now that's quite a statement. It's likely to lead to a massive convergence of industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medicines, food and the information technology sector, agribusiness and even energy to be included into what is becoming the so-called life science category. SO I think we're really looking to see some interesting breakthroughs in this area over the next five, ten, fifteen, twenty-five years. It will truly revolutionize how we do a lot of things, there's a lot of answers that we don't have yet but I think that we're beginning to put in place the kinds of testing, controls, debates, education that's needed to make this industry successful so that it doesn't suffer the fate of the nuclear power industry. |
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