Eight years ago, Florida's officials wanted to transform the state into a bioscience powerhouse, hoping that it would become known for more than just beachfront retirement apartments and cartoon-themed amusement parks. So they launched a bold initiative to swiftly build world-class bioscience clusters in the region. The plan has cost the state and local governments more than US$1.5 billion, sparked significant growth in Florida's once-sleepy biotechnology industry - and left many expecting more. The promise of a robust industry with newjobs, research funding, patentable discoveries and royalties has yet to be fully realized. That is frustrating for a state grappling with a lacklustre economy and severe budget shortfalls.
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