In 2004, Reuters began outsourcing journalism jobs to Bangalore, India. If one of hundreds of small or mid-sized U.S.-based public companies releases news, a reporter in Bangalore now writes the story. The move, driven by cost-cutting concerns, has been the source of a bitter and ongoing dispute between the wire service and its reporters. But Reuters’ actions have been eye opening for ink-stained wretches like myself, who may have labored under the false impression that whatever threats to job security may lurk, outsourcing was certainly not one. Sometimes reality smacks me in the face and as much as I’d like to smack it back, it seems to refuse to sit still long enough for me to do so. So it is without the least bit of shock that I have watched the emergence of outsourcing in the biotechnology industry. If you can outsource journalism jobs to Bangalore, you can outsource biotech jobs anywhere. In the Bay Area, public officials and economic development big-brains have long talked about increased outsourcing of biopharmaceutical jobs to other parts of the country and overseas, but the focus has been on manufacturing and not research and development. If you have an urge from time to time to smack public officials and economic development big-brains, which I assure you is normal and healthy, relax. Reality is about to take care of that for you. More...
