Europe trailing in biotech deployment

Amsterdam, 19-20 October 2011 – the annual European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology, which met on Wednesday and Thursday last week, heard how the EU is failing behind the US and Asia in the market deployment of new biotechnologies, even though it is developing them at a similar rate.

 

A report by EuropaBio, the association of bioindustries which organises the annual forum, revealed how some EU research is being used in demonstration plants and commercial product in Brazil, China, India and the US.

 

Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio, said: “This ultimately means that the lion's share of the benefits of European Research are enjoyed elsewhere with the products then sold back to the EU at a premium. This trend must cease if Europe is serious about becoming a true Innovation Union.”

 

The report recommends creating more demonstration biorefineries in the EU with investment from both public and private stakeholders. Preferred sites for these were identified, based on feedstock availability and co-location possibilities.

 

For more information about the study and the conference, please click here.