Problem
The NIH is the major governmental funding agency for research and innovation in medicine. Other government agencies, universities, and private companies contribute to the development, testing, and distribution of medical treatments. Explore the links provided to websites and documents that provide information about how the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were created. Provide citation information for the support materials (websites, documents) that you use. You do not need to use ALL of the support materials provided.
A. Describe the innovation ecosystem within which the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines were developed.
a. Identify the key actors in the ecosystem, and what they contributed to this innovation process.
B. Create a picture or figure that illustrates a network of connections in this ecosystem. For example, what types of entities have a role in the ecosystem? Consider how these entities are connected and what flows through these connections (e.g., money, knowledge, expertise, human capital).
C. Apply what you learned about the importance of networks and platforms to the development of vaccines. How were networks important? Can you apply the idea of innovation platforms to this example?