We are poor lobbyists
I doubt there has ever been a really well thought out Scandinavian campaign with intentions to really change attitudes among both the public and politicians.
Incomes from the lifespan of one single blockbuster can be counted in tens of billions of euros. Though we may be at the end of the blockbuster era it is a pretty good measurement of how well investment in research can pay off. Arguing for focus on and investment in research should be a pretty easy task, there is, at least, no lack of powerful arguments.
Look at Research America. This organisation has worked relentlessly for more than 20 years to communicate how important research is to the American people.
Research America has been great at explaning this to people outside the research field. The public has been informed of everything from huge commercial campaigns of how much a drug that helps cancer patients costs, to how much the Obama administration is really spending on research. And the message is always adjusted to the receiver– how much does a drug cost to develop compared to the average wedding? Numbers that are too big to grasp are broken down to figures that anybody can relate to.
What has the industrial organisation Läkemedelsindustriföreningen in Sweden done? Has Dansk Biotek done enough to ensure pressure on Danish politicians to encourage research and innovation?
I doubt there has ever been a really well thought out Scandinavian campaign with intentions to really change attitudes among both the public and politicians.
So, what can you and I do?
Talk to our member organizations and make them work closely together. Research America was started by the American Medical Association, some universities and big pharma companies. Today they consist of about 500 organisations, companies, foundations and academic institutions. Together they speak for the voices of more than 125 million Americans.
Swedish Läkemedelsindustriföreningen and Sweden Bio are trying to do this kind of lobbying alone and there are independent groups trying to influence politicians on the important issue of clinical trials. They are probably doing the best they can but their lobbying is way to fragmented to produce any sustainable effect. Especially since research and innovations has a much longer time span than the average four-year periods that politicians are in power.