The US Bioeconomy Blueprint: the 10 Minute Guide

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Obama Administration releases its long-awaited, historic strategic plan for the bioeconomy, and US economic revival from advances in health sciences, agriculture, industrial biotechnology and advanced biofuels. No time to read the dense pages of the full report? Try our 10-Minute Guide, including links to the full report and a bonus look at the EU’s bioeconomy strategy.

...The National Bioeconomy Blueprint describes five strategic objectives for a bioeconomy with the potential to generate economic growth and address societal needs.

1. Support R&D investments that will provide the foundation for the future U.S. bioeconomy.

“Coordination of Federal bioeconomy-related research activities can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of those investments and is especially important when budget growth is constrained. Coordinated strategic programs and targeted investments will accelerate progress in biological research and technology areas, and this in turn will drive discovery for an American bioeconomy.”

Moving Forward: Coordinated, integrated R&D efforts will help strategically shape the national bioeconomy R&D agenda.

2. Facilitate the transition of bioinventions from research lab to market, including an increased focus on translational and regulatory sciences.

“If it is to be successful and thrive, the bioeconomy will be based on a steady flow of new products and services that address American needs. To ensure this flow, policies must be developed and taxpayer dollars must be used responsibly to foster an ecosystem that supports discovery, innovation, and commercialization.”

Moving Forward: A dedicated commitment to translational efforts will accelerate movement of bioinventions out of laboratories and into markets.

3. Develop and reform regulations to reduce barriers, increase the speed and predictability of regulatory processes, and reduce costs while protecting human and environmental health.

“Regulations are essential for protecting human health and the environment and reducing safety and security risks associated with potential misapplications of technology. When they are not carefully crafted or become outdated, however, they can become barriers to innovation and market expansion and discourage investment.”

Moving forward: Improved regulatory processes will help rapidly and safely achieve the promise of the future bioeconomy.

4. Update training programs and align academic institution incentives with student training for national workforce needs.

“Many jobs in science and technology-related businesses remain unfilled despite high rates of local unemployment. Opportunities exist to enhance training efforts at all levels to keep pace with changing career pathways.”

Moving forward: Federal agencies should take steps to ensure that the future bioeconomy has a sustainable and appropriately-trained workforce.

5. Identify and support opportunities for the development of public-private partnerships and precompetitive collaborations—where competitors pool resources, knowledge, and expertise to learn from successes and failures.

“Partnerships enable private industry, government agencies, and academic institutions to pool resources and expertise around an idea, dramatically improving chances for success. Many companies do not invest in early ideas because they are unlikely to pay off immediately.This is one place where the government can play a crucial role.”