I just stumbled over William Hoffman's World Stem Cell Policy Map, which shows the geographical distribution of policy about stem cells and major genome sequencing centers. It is part of a larger project to create Global Maps of Human Technological Development, including Global Biotechnology Clusters and Global Biotech Crops.
With the amount of cutting edge research and development taking place in China, India, Taiwan -- the list goes on -- it is interesting to see things laid out this way. I have concentrated mostly on how technologies are changing in time, and on constructing analogies to help understand what sorts of technologies we need to do better biology.
But the geographical perspective is instructive. There are obvious clusters of research, some of which lie in countries that are dramatically more permissive about clinical trials than is the US. It wouldn't take that much in the way of resources to plunk down a cutting edge center in most of the blank areas of the map. I hope Mr. Hoffman keeps things updated so we can see how the maps develop.