Very early in the history of biotechnology (about 1979), Monsanto has made a serious commitment to move in that direction. This case tells the story from the point of view of the outstanding scientist hired to head the corporate R & D. He took Monsanto very traditional agricultural base technology chemicals for one of the best centers in the world of biotechnology and watched buy Searle Pharmaceuticals. Several questions arise: how can a company go in a completely new technology? What are the advantages and disadvantages of search technology from small firms and universities? How should research be organized? Emphasizes the very long run, that Monsanto made to justify their huge investment. "Hide
by Dorothy Leonard-Barton, Gary P. Pisano Source: Harvard Business School 17 pages. Publication Date: January 29, 1990. Prod. #: 690009-PDF-ENG
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