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Home >> The Biotech sector >> Biotechnology and Impact
Biotechnology and Its Impact
Today, the world is experiencing a globalization of trade and development that has important implications in many aspects of life and society. The current scientific-technology revolution plays a key role in production, employment and education. Telecommunications, nanotechnology and biotechnology are fields that many analysts consider the driving force behind the change that is transforming our society.
Biotechnology and, more recently, genome research (genomics/biotechnology) contribute to increasing the quality of our healthcare systems and the competitiveness of our markets; while they also allow for employment opportunities in the most developed countries. The potential impact of the development of genomics and biotechnology is only comparable to the impact of the information-technology boom. The formers have the potential to affect markets that account for 20% of a country´s GNP such as hospitals, pharmaceuticals, energy, environment, food and agriculture, etc. Therefore, beyond the highly innovative companies traditionally active in biotechnology, genomics has the possibility to affect also more mature and traditional sectors offering new business opportunities.
These fields offer a greater opportunity of increasing every country’s competitiveness on a global scale, which is why many emerging markets choose to invest in biotechnology; countries such as China, India, South Korea and Singapore are making important investments in this sector.
Biotechnology has a great impact on industry and economics. The applications range from the “classic” biotechnology that develops pharmaceutics to, for example, the production of new materials for the packaging of foodstuffs. In other words, biotechnology is of a horizontal nature having an impact on a variety of industries; generating products with an added value; improving productivity and the environment; as well as increasing our life quality.
Depending on the sector that biotechnology is applied to, it is classified into four different group types: white, red, green or blue biotechnology.
White also known as industrial biotechnology consists in applying tools using live cells or their enzymatic systems to achieve a sustainable production of chemicals, biomaterials, and biofuels. The main benefits this group can produce are the improvement of the means of production, the development of new products and the reduction of the environmental impact of industrial activities
Red or human health biotechnology is the most visible group, and is dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a great number of new and well-known diseases. According to EuropaBio (the European association for bioindustries), 20% of the commercialized drugs have been developed using biotechnology applications, and 50% of these in clinical trials.
Green biotechnology improves the competitiveness in agriculture, livestock and forestry increasing the production volume and the resistance of the species. Hundreds of bio-pesticides improve the agricultural yields, and decrease our dependence on traditional pesticides.
Blue or marine biotechonolgy addresses the most common aquaculture applications: more effective vaccinations that decrease fish mortality due to infectious diseases and avoid the administration of expensive and inefficient drugs; genetic markers of commercial interest that alllow for the selection of broodstocks with special DNA characteristics.
