European Commission lays out comprehensive Biotech Strategy
On Wednesday 20 March, the European Commission announced a series of targeted actions to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing on the continent. The Communication on Building the future with nature identifies hurdles for the sector and how these are to be overcome. The strategy comes at a time where Europe is increasingly aware of the need to boost its competitiveness globally, as addressed in the Communication on the long-term competitiveness of the EU.
Biotechnology and biomanufacturing have evolved as promising technological frontiers in the 21st century. They amalgamate advancements in life sciences with digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI), offering solutions rooted in biology to address pressing societal issues. In Europe, these sectors hold significant promise to modernize various industries such as agriculture, forestry, energy, food, and healthcare, while facilitating the EU’s green and digital transitions.
Europe’s biotechnology and biomanufacturing landscape face several challenges including research and technology transfer, regulatory complexity, access to finance, skills shortages, and public acceptance. Addressing these challenges, the Commission has delineated a comprehensive set of actions aimed at leveraging research and innovation, stimulating market demand, streamlining regulatory pathways, fostering investments, strengthening skills development, elaborating standards, promoting collaboration, and advancing international cooperation.
Key initiatives include the launch of a study to benchmark the EU’s biotechnology capabilities against global leaders and the establishment of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation and Synthetic Biology Accelerator (EU IBISBA). Market demand for bio-based products will be stimulated by ensuring equivalence in environmental impact assessments and exploring bio-based content requirements in public procurement. Regulatory hurdles will be addressed through the potential establishment of an EU Biotech Act and the creation of an EU Biotech Hub.
Furthermore, the Commission aims to foster public and private investments through various financing instruments and advocate for the inclusion of biotech challenges in the European Innovation Council (EIC) accelerator. Skills development will be prioritized through Large-Scale and Regional Skills Partnerships, while collaboration and synergies will be encouraged across EU regions.
Internationally, the Commission seeks to forge partnerships with key players like the US, India, Japan, and South Korea to advance research and technology transfer. Additionally, collaborations with Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean will be intensified to strengthen global health initiatives.
The integration of artificial intelligence, particularly Generative AI, into biotech and biomanufacturing processes will be facilitated, and the EU Bioeconomy Strategy will be reviewed to reinforce its industrial dimension and alignment with biotechnology and biomanufacturing.
The EU’s proposed actions underscore its commitment to fostering innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness in the burgeoning fields of biotechnology and biomanufacturing. It promises to position Europe at the forefront of global technological advancements and sends a promising signal to the private sector.