IP/07/484
Brussels, 11th April 2007
EU puts emphasis on innovation in the field of
biotechnology
The European Commission wants to put a special focus on innovation,
research, market development and the debate with society on ethical issues
in the field of biotechnology. In a mid-term review of the Strategy on Life
Sciences and Biotechnology 2002 – 2010, presented today by President
Barroso and Commissioners Verheugen and Potocnik, a refocus of actions
has been proposed to promote a competitive and sustainable European
knowledge based Bio-Economy. Competitiveness can be ensured by the
promotion of research and market development, innovation programmes,
societal debates, sustainable development of agriculture and better
implementation of legislation. Life sciences and biotechnology offer the
prospects of new and renewable bio resources, lower energy and water
consumption, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and reduced
dependence on petroleum. They also play a growing role in the discovery
and development of new medicines, advanced therapies, diagnostics and
vaccines. Biotechnology as a scientific technique has existed for more than
5000 years. It was first used in foodstuffs, such as bread, cheese, wine and
beer. Modern applications of biotechnology include the production of
enzymes, used in very practical day to day products like washing powder, or
the creation of bio-plastics, which degrade considerably quicker than
conventional plastics, thereby reducing waste. Biotechnology is also used to
develop new life-saving medicines and medical devices. New applications
are being developed all the time and Europe should be at the forefront of
these developments.
Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and
industry policy, said: “Biotechnology is an important means to promote growth, jobs
and competitiveness in the EU. The use of biotechnology is however not without
controversy and the enhanced use of biotechnology needs to be accompanied by a
broad societal debate about the potential risks and benefits of biotechnology
including its ethical dimension.”
Commissioner Janez Potočnik, responsible for research and development, said: "Life
sciences and biotechnologies are playing a vital role for the competitiveness of our
industry but I see it also playing an important role in facing challenges such as the
perils of oil dependence, global warming, food security and population health. The
FP7 has been designed to address these challenges and to support the
development of a European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy, which among others
will play a crucial role for achieving the EU goal of reaching the minimum level of
10% bio fuels for vehicle fuel by 2020.”
The Commission’s Joint Research Centre has just published the study “Bio4EU”,
which provides evidence of the wide impact of biotechnologies on Europe’s
industries.
The situation of the biotechnology industry in the EU, an important economical sector
employing about 96.500 people, merits more public support. Despite many
successful European biotech start-ups, the companies tend to grow slowly and
depend on external finance for their research and development. Sufficient amounts
of risk capital are often difficult to raise and the European patent system makes it
expensive to file and defend patents, especially for SME's. In addition, the
investment in life sciences and biotechnology research is accelerating worldwide and
new competitors are emerging in countries such as China, Brazil, and India.
For the refocusing of the Action Plan, the Commission proposes to put a specific
emphasis on five interdependent biotech-specific priority actions:
- Promote research and market development for bio-based products and
improve the uptake of new technologies including generation of knowledge
under the 7th Research Framework Programme; establishment of public-private
partnership to mobilise research funding; explore lead market initiatives for ecoefficient bio-based products.
- Foster competitiveness by facilitating knowledge transfer and innovation
from the science base to industry, including development of best practices in
licensing of genetic resources; improving links between research organisations
and industry; facilitating the patenting system for Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprises (SME's); and considering incentives for Young Innovative
Companies.
- Encourage informed societal debates on the benefits and risk of life sciences
and biotechnology.
- Ensure a sustainable contribution of modern biotechnology to agriculture and
use the potential of plant science for energy and environment applications, in
particular to replace of chemical processes and fossil fuels.
- Improve the implementation of the legislation and its impact on
competitiveness. Unnecessary administrative burdens on research and industry
should be identified and removed. Regulation should encourage, not hinder,
innovation. Policy coordination should be improved, especially on cross-cutting
issues and on newly emerging issues.
More information:
See MEMO/07/130
Website DG ENTR
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/phabiocom/index_en.htm
Websites DG JRC:
http://bio4eu.jrc.es/
www.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Website SG
www.ec.europa.eu/biotechnology
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