Are you being served? Small companies entering biotechnology markets, in common with new academic staff with rcxarch inrrrrsts in applied biochcmistly, have pressing needs. Needs for mformation, needs for rcpresentatioi: and perhaps most pressing of all - needs for funds. They are faced with a bewilde+nT lationai, international and global infrastructure that has grown rapidly, often piecemeal, to meet those needs, and to ensure that national competitive advantage (technical and commercial) is maintained. This article introduces some of the more important co-ordinating, rcprcsentational and funding organizations relevant to biotechnology and, focusing particularly on those in Europe, illustrates what is actually on offer. The global perspective International Biotechnology Fomm (IBF) At senior management level (and this includes heads of academic departments) advertisements often ask for superb&rags who, in addition to scientific, personnel and managerial excellence, arc we11 ‘networked’. Being networked at senior management level in the life-science knowing your industry means counterparts from Jamaica to Japan: it may also mean being part ofSAGB (the Senior Advisory Group Biotechnology, Europe), or indeed part of the Canadian, American or Japanese equivalents (Fig. 1). Directors and managers from 369 companies from these four industrial organizations make up the IBF (International Biotechnology Forum). The IBF has global objectives: ’..to promote and
develop the benefits of biotechnologf on a world-wide bash’. Envi: onmentally sustainable growth, targeted support for hiotechnologT rcscarch and development, achieving public acceptance of biotcchnolo~~, and harmonization of regulatory procedures all feature amongst the aims of the IBF. SAGB companies collcctivcly employ two million people around the world, spend USS17 billion on K&D, and inxst USS24 billion in new facilities. pJamra:!y, they are concerned to see a positive climate of opinion in favour of biotechnology SAGB regularly issues EC-wide papers on regulation, compctitivcness and biotechnology policy. The small traders - Bioindustry associations Biotechnoln~~ has created a great diversity of medium-sized markets for chemicals, equipment, information’ and services. Smallto mediutn-sized companies - private industries - supply the bulk of the market, and confidcncc is buoyant in response to ambitious investment programmes (in the USA and Japan in particular). To help small traders gain a foothold in world markets, a large number of biotechnology trade associations have come into being. In fact, there has even been competition between trade atsociations in laying claim to beingmorc represcmative of members’ interest-:. Membel-ship costs are usually scaled to the size of the industry that is seeking to join. Most associations seek to formulate policy on national priorities - regulation, research support, public awareness and education
‘Figure 1 Thefour member organizations of the international Biotechnology Forum (IBF): SAG% Senior Advisory Group Biotechnology (Europe); JBA, Japanese Biotechnology Association; IBAC. International Biotechnology Association Canada: IBA, International Bictechnology Association. 0 1992. Elsevier Scmce
Publishers I.td (UK)
.Box 1, Biotechnologytrade associations,u2&ly representing smaC to medium-sized industries [and their country of origin) Adebio (France) ‘sgentine Forum (Argentina) Assobiotec (Italy) Austrade (Australia) Australian Botechnoloa Assxiation Biolndustry Ass:cidon VJKj BioReseat “it ii Sand Chemical Industry Federatix [Finland) DECHEMA (Germany! FBID (Denmark) Groupe Beige de Co-ordination de la RioIndustrie @elgiwn) JETRO (Japan) Netherlands Industrial and Agricultttral Association Organibio (France)
txisg ~hc usual thcme.s. Aims varv between coizatrics. bJt there is a common ‘core’ of services offered. Associations maintain channels of communication with central govemmcnt ministries (science, trade. health. food, energy. etc.), with intcruational trade associations (Box I). with the European Directorates and with scientific societies’ co-ordinating bodies (c.g. the European Fcdcration ofBiotechndo~r. EFH). Many readers will have seen small companies presenting their warts at biotechnology conierences under the banner of their trade association. Trade associations can obtain government subsidies. and can bargain i2r reduced costs on behalf of mcmbcrs (see Box 2 tbr conrxi points). An increasingly important role of biotcchnolo_gy trade associations is the provision and maintenance of specialized databascz to enable mcmbea to identifv new opportunities br partnerships and joint vcnturcs. Tradcn don’t always subscribe to learned journals or acquire mrmbership of scientific societies. and so derailcofworld-\vide scicnrific meeting of relevance may come through their trade association. Achieving co-operatioa in Biotechnology - the EFB Because of the large munbcr (world-vvide) of -not-iir-prnfr’ societies -hat lay claim to an intzrcst in a biotzchnolo~?--related area. attempts have been made at both
I--Executive and Science
General
Advisory Committee
Assembly
A
Netiona! representatives O:le member from each
Personal corresponding members
Special hterest groups
I I I
National lear$ed societies and professicnal institutes
I I
Trade associations
-I
Figt$e2
Cmrcllnationof nationalsocietiesand professionalinstit&s withinthe EuropeanFederationof Biotechnology(EFB).
Box 2. Contact points (and pubkation$ UK Biotechnology, Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Biotechnology Unit, Department of Trade and Industry, Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex, UK TW11 OLY. (Biotechnology A PJain Man’s Guide to the Support and Regulations in the UK ) UK Bioindustry Association, 1 Queen Anne’s Gate, London, UK SW1 19BT. UK BiotechnologyDirectorate, Science and Engineering Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, UK SN2 1ET.
DECHEMA e.V., Theodor-lieuss-Allee 25, DF-6000 Frankfurt am Main 15, Germany. (EFB Newsletter) SAGF. ;cenur! E;,van Nieuwenhuyse 4, btc 1; B-l 160 Brussels, Belgium. (Regular issue of papers available to all the EC) CUBE, DGXII, Commissionof the EuropeanCommunities, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium. (European Biotechnology Information Service, EBIS)
TIETECH SEPTEMBER
1992 WOL 10)
national and international levels to co-ordinate thr efforts of the so&tics. The aim is generally not to ‘tell’ learned sxiety and professional institutes what tn do (which would be unacceptable), but to improve information transfer, to minimize duplication, to foster exchange of materials and s&mists, and overall to da things wbxh the individual, specialist societirs themsulvcs could not do, or at least, could not do so wcil. One representativrs organization, the EFB, will serve as an example. The 71 member societies that belong to the EFB arc represented individually in :+c general assembly, and nationally through the csecutive and science advisory committees (Fig. 2). The EFB recently introduced the concept of ‘personal corresponding member’, an individual scicntisl who, through payment of 3 modest subscription, wouid be included in working-party activities
or could contribute to specific tasks being carried out by the EFB (and thereby have some influence on European science direction or policy). Through tl:c medium of a ncwslettcr (see Box 2), the melnbers of EFB regularly gain a picture of biotechnology at all levels in the 25 European nations represented. The main means of working of the EFB is the organization of conferences, workshops, meetings and ‘working parties’. Working parties rcflest the interest and expertise of interes: groups which make up the men&r socictics and institutes: they dcl with 3 wide spectrum of professional, scientific, technological and eronornic issues (Table I). Working pxtiea of the EFB have a highly respected membcnhip and are currently responsible for promotion of education and training, research and development, setting standards and promoting international collabor-
Table I. Issuescovered by the European Federation of Biotechnology(EFB) working parties Area of interest Animal and plant cell culture Applied biocatalysis Applied molecular genetics Bioreactor performance Downstream processing and recovery (bioproducts) Education Environmental biotechnology Measurement and control Microbial physiology Safety in Biotechnology
No. of countries represented
299
CUBE
+
‘+-zq
BCR BIOTECH r-7
f
c-’
Research
Science and Development
I BIOMASS
--)
FLAIR
--)
ECLAIR
1
F.A.S.T.
MED. --
Figure 3 The EC Directorate responsible for science research and development. Individual initiatives (funded research programmes) are shown as boxes cordaining the appropriate acronym. Acronyms: CUBE, Concertation Unit for Biotechnology in Europe; BCR, Bureau Commtk nautairec;eReference;BIOTECH.Biotechnology initiative;BIOMASS,Biomass initiative; F.A.S.T., Forecasting and Assessment; MED., Medical and Health Research; ECLAIR, European Collaborative Linkage of Agriculture and Industry throughResearch; FLAIR, Food Linked Agro-Industrial Research Programme; STD, Science and Technology for Development. ation and contributing co &.,,npcan &search and Development F-Ogrammes within the EC. Footing the bill The assiduous fostering ofbiotechnoloby science-base research and innovation for profit has created an enormous and essen:ially insatiable appetite for funds. Nosr nations operate national stimulation programmes ‘initiatives’ which zncourage small industries by means of grants for innovation; for example, SMART (Small firms Merit Awar& for Research and Technology) provides up to UKLSO 000 for projects through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the UK. To promote rechnology transfer, a range of initiatives is available. LINK schemes, also in the UK, fund strategic applied research in biotechnology through (50:50, privatepublic sector) funding in the science base.
the rclcvatrt prq.pmm~ is ‘BIDTECH’ (Biotechnology initiativc) for -vhich calh fur research propoaah are imminent. Scientists may be unaware of the EC department ‘CUBE’ (Cancertation Unit for Biotechnology in Europe), which providep a mcchanism in Europe for dctcrmining wh;.t is going on in biotechnology. This .s nccesraxy becaucc thcrc arc’ axund 40 commission services in several ‘Dinx:orarcr general’ in the EC (in 12 member states) involved with biotcchnolo&y:, rach with grea:ly expanding contracts in thr public and private sectors. Thcrc arc other, major international agencicc (such as United Nations, OECi)), 10 addition to the EFB and Biotcchncrlo&y Indusq atsociarions nuxrionL.-d earlier, that all interact with the EC. CUM i:. a contact point for bio:echnolo&T in chc EC and is,ues a ncwslcttcr (of course!) c&cd EBBS (!%o~~PI i%ttrc\trrok~~ I$%i~t&+i Sm~icc) (Bos 2). However. fcr those interested individuals mentioned at the outset of this arc& (chc - in human medicine. Unfommatcly. pro&ction of such antibodies b!- convcnrional hybridnma rechno&!y ic noI a practical prospccc~. Phase tcchnol0~ could b:7-pass the nrc&ty tbr
develop the benefits of biotechnologf on a world-wide bash’. Envi: onmentally sustainable growth, targeted support for hiotechnologT rcscarch and development, achieving public acceptance of biotcchnolo~~, and harmonization of regulatory procedures all feature amongst the aims of the IBF. SAGB companies collcctivcly employ two million people around the world, spend USS17 billion on K&D, and inxst USS24 billion in new facilities. pJamra:!y, they are concerned to see a positive climate of opinion in favour of biotechnology SAGB regularly issues EC-wide papers on regulation, compctitivcness and biotechnology policy. The small traders - Bioindustry associations Biotechnoln~~ has created a great diversity of medium-sized markets for chemicals, equipment, information’ and services. Smallto mediutn-sized companies - private industries - supply the bulk of the market, and confidcncc is buoyant in response to ambitious investment programmes (in the USA and Japan in particular). To help small traders gain a foothold in world markets, a large number of biotechnology trade associations have come into being. In fact, there has even been competition between trade atsociations in laying claim to beingmorc represcmative of members’ interest-:. Membel-ship costs are usually scaled to the size of the industry that is seeking to join. Most associations seek to formulate policy on national priorities - regulation, research support, public awareness and education
‘Figure 1 Thefour member organizations of the international Biotechnology Forum (IBF): SAG% Senior Advisory Group Biotechnology (Europe); JBA, Japanese Biotechnology Association; IBAC. International Biotechnology Association Canada: IBA, International Bictechnology Association. 0 1992. Elsevier Scmce
Publishers I.td (UK)
.Box 1, Biotechnologytrade associations,u2&ly representing smaC to medium-sized industries [and their country of origin) Adebio (France) ‘sgentine Forum (Argentina) Assobiotec (Italy) Austrade (Australia) Australian Botechnoloa Assxiation Biolndustry Ass:cidon VJKj BioReseat “it ii Sand Chemical Industry Federatix [Finland) DECHEMA (Germany! FBID (Denmark) Groupe Beige de Co-ordination de la RioIndustrie @elgiwn) JETRO (Japan) Netherlands Industrial and Agricultttral Association Organibio (France)
txisg ~hc usual thcme.s. Aims varv between coizatrics. bJt there is a common ‘core’ of services offered. Associations maintain channels of communication with central govemmcnt ministries (science, trade. health. food, energy. etc.), with intcruational trade associations (Box I). with the European Directorates and with scientific societies’ co-ordinating bodies (c.g. the European Fcdcration ofBiotechndo~r. EFH). Many readers will have seen small companies presenting their warts at biotechnology conierences under the banner of their trade association. Trade associations can obtain government subsidies. and can bargain i2r reduced costs on behalf of mcmbcrs (see Box 2 tbr conrxi points). An increasingly important role of biotcchnolo_gy trade associations is the provision and maintenance of specialized databascz to enable mcmbea to identifv new opportunities br partnerships and joint vcnturcs. Tradcn don’t always subscribe to learned journals or acquire mrmbership of scientific societies. and so derailcofworld-\vide scicnrific meeting of relevance may come through their trade association. Achieving co-operatioa in Biotechnology - the EFB Because of the large munbcr (world-vvide) of -not-iir-prnfr’ societies -hat lay claim to an intzrcst in a biotzchnolo~?--related area. attempts have been made at both
I--Executive and Science
General
Advisory Committee
Assembly
A
Netiona! representatives O:le member from each
Personal corresponding members
Special hterest groups
I I I
National lear$ed societies and professicnal institutes
I I
Trade associations
-I
Figt$e2
Cmrcllnationof nationalsocietiesand professionalinstit&s withinthe EuropeanFederationof Biotechnology(EFB).
Box 2. Contact points (and pubkation$ UK Biotechnology, Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Biotechnology Unit, Department of Trade and Industry, Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex, UK TW11 OLY. (Biotechnology A PJain Man’s Guide to the Support and Regulations in the UK ) UK Bioindustry Association, 1 Queen Anne’s Gate, London, UK SW1 19BT. UK BiotechnologyDirectorate, Science and Engineering Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, UK SN2 1ET.
DECHEMA e.V., Theodor-lieuss-Allee 25, DF-6000 Frankfurt am Main 15, Germany. (EFB Newsletter) SAGF. ;cenur! E;,van Nieuwenhuyse 4, btc 1; B-l 160 Brussels, Belgium. (Regular issue of papers available to all the EC) CUBE, DGXII, Commissionof the EuropeanCommunities, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium. (European Biotechnology Information Service, EBIS)
TIETECH SEPTEMBER
1992 WOL 10)
national and international levels to co-ordinate thr efforts of the so&tics. The aim is generally not to ‘tell’ learned sxiety and professional institutes what tn do (which would be unacceptable), but to improve information transfer, to minimize duplication, to foster exchange of materials and s&mists, and overall to da things wbxh the individual, specialist societirs themsulvcs could not do, or at least, could not do so wcil. One representativrs organization, the EFB, will serve as an example. The 71 member societies that belong to the EFB arc represented individually in :+c general assembly, and nationally through the csecutive and science advisory committees (Fig. 2). The EFB recently introduced the concept of ‘personal corresponding member’, an individual scicntisl who, through payment of 3 modest subscription, wouid be included in working-party activities
or could contribute to specific tasks being carried out by the EFB (and thereby have some influence on European science direction or policy). Through tl:c medium of a ncwslettcr (see Box 2), the melnbers of EFB regularly gain a picture of biotechnology at all levels in the 25 European nations represented. The main means of working of the EFB is the organization of conferences, workshops, meetings and ‘working parties’. Working parties rcflest the interest and expertise of interes: groups which make up the men&r socictics and institutes: they dcl with 3 wide spectrum of professional, scientific, technological and eronornic issues (Table I). Working pxtiea of the EFB have a highly respected membcnhip and are currently responsible for promotion of education and training, research and development, setting standards and promoting international collabor-
Table I. Issuescovered by the European Federation of Biotechnology(EFB) working parties Area of interest Animal and plant cell culture Applied biocatalysis Applied molecular genetics Bioreactor performance Downstream processing and recovery (bioproducts) Education Environmental biotechnology Measurement and control Microbial physiology Safety in Biotechnology
No. of countries represented
299
CUBE
+
‘+-zq
BCR BIOTECH r-7
f
c-’
Research
Science and Development
I BIOMASS
--)
FLAIR
--)
ECLAIR
1
F.A.S.T.
MED. --
Figure 3 The EC Directorate responsible for science research and development. Individual initiatives (funded research programmes) are shown as boxes cordaining the appropriate acronym. Acronyms: CUBE, Concertation Unit for Biotechnology in Europe; BCR, Bureau Commtk nautairec;eReference;BIOTECH.Biotechnology initiative;BIOMASS,Biomass initiative; F.A.S.T., Forecasting and Assessment; MED., Medical and Health Research; ECLAIR, European Collaborative Linkage of Agriculture and Industry throughResearch; FLAIR, Food Linked Agro-Industrial Research Programme; STD, Science and Technology for Development. ation and contributing co &.,,npcan &search and Development F-Ogrammes within the EC. Footing the bill The assiduous fostering ofbiotechnoloby science-base research and innovation for profit has created an enormous and essen:ially insatiable appetite for funds. Nosr nations operate national stimulation programmes ‘initiatives’ which zncourage small industries by means of grants for innovation; for example, SMART (Small firms Merit Awar& for Research and Technology) provides up to UKLSO 000 for projects through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the UK. To promote rechnology transfer, a range of initiatives is available. LINK schemes, also in the UK, fund strategic applied research in biotechnology through (50:50, privatepublic sector) funding in the science base.
the rclcvatrt prq.pmm~ is ‘BIDTECH’ (Biotechnology initiativc) for -vhich calh fur research propoaah are imminent. Scientists may be unaware of the EC department ‘CUBE’ (Cancertation Unit for Biotechnology in Europe), which providep a mcchanism in Europe for dctcrmining wh;.t is going on in biotechnology. This .s nccesraxy becaucc thcrc arc’ axund 40 commission services in several ‘Dinx:orarcr general’ in the EC (in 12 member states) involved with biotcchnolo&y:, rach with grea:ly expanding contracts in thr public and private sectors. Thcrc arc other, major international agencicc (such as United Nations, OECi)), 10 addition to the EFB and Biotcchncrlo&y Indusq atsociarions nuxrionL.-d earlier, that all interact with the EC. CUM i:. a contact point for bio:echnolo&T in chc EC and is,ues a ncwslcttcr (of course!) c&cd EBBS (!%o~~PI i%ttrc\trrok~~ I$%i~t&+i Sm~icc) (Bos 2). However. fcr those interested individuals mentioned at the outset of this arc& (chc - in human medicine. Unfommatcly. pro&ction of such antibodies b!- convcnrional hybridnma rechno&!y ic noI a practical prospccc~. Phase tcchnol0~ could b:7-pass the nrc&ty tbr
