Finance vs Science vs Engineering30 Jan 2017 09:39
If the Science is sound, and who would know better than CERN, then the practicalities of implementation should be the only reason why this fails.
There is still plenty that can go wrong in building the test machine and digging underground in Harley St, both of which could significantly impact on timelines.
Finance in relation to timelines is the key. If we had a fully tested machine, orders and associated deposits and vendor financing should start to flow nicely. Patients being treated in Harley street gives cash flow even without having to sell further machines. Delays to Harley St should be expected due to the nature of underground works. My belief is that Pebble Mill could be fast tracked to take the first machine if necessary.
The main uncertainty is whether they can get to the end of testing without hitting a significant issue e.g. Redesign/rebuild of one of the modules.
Confirmation of testing success will make finance issues disappear. Delays will mean that Finance will need to be 'enhanced'