Yet another Hub? 🤔 That was my first thought when reading the EC's Communication on "Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU" which states in Action 2: "establishing an EU Biotech Hub, an operational tool for biotech companies to navigate through the regulatory framework and identify support to scale up". Yesterday I was given the opportunity to represent Fraunhofer-Institut für Grenzflächen- und Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB and IBISBA at a workshop organized by the EC's Directorate General GROW to discuss the Communication and respective actions 🤓
Some key points for me were
👉 The Biotech Hub would largely build on existing infrastructures, e.g. IBISBA, Pilots4U, or existing regional clusters, e.g. CLIB - Cluster Industrielle Biotechnologie. A respective mapping of European activities has been started.
👉 Better access and transferability of regional funding could help companies to get the support they need from e.g. pilot facilities, although perhaps located somewhere else. Briefly stated, maybe only remains my wishful thinking.
👉 Bio-based content (or rather renewable carbon content?!) requirements for certain product categories could stimulate market demand, but need to be seen in the perspective with other regulations (e.g. plastic waste regulation)
👉 It was not just me whining about the costs of, not building, but maintaining large research infrastructures. That point got noted 🤞
🙏 YES, there is still the plan to have an updated Bioeconomy Strategy in 2025
Thank you for the opportunity!
#biotechnology #bioeconomy #biomanufacturing