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Boston: A magnetic hub

Nature volume 417, pages 4–5 (2002)Cite this article

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the area's two flagship universities and their affiliates, draw so many donations that anything under $100 million barely registers. And the area, which already has one of the largest concentrations of biotechnology companies in the world — and a few billion dollars in venture capital funding — is now attracting the interest of more established drug companies. Novartis, for example, announced this month that it is moving its worldwide research and development headquarters to Cambridge.

All of these components add up to massive job opportunities, although the cost of living in the area is rising and the biotech market remains unstable after the terrorist attacks of 11 September. And, despite the implication that all the sites are in contact with each other in the 'hub', the area has a reputation for competition and secrecy that some researchers say is not without foundation.

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  1. * Please see the Erratum associated with this article.

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    Paul Smaglik

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Smaglik, P. Boston: A magnetic hub . Nature 417, 4–5 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nj6886-04a

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