Commercial use of GM crop technology: Identifying the drivers using life cycle methodology in a technology foresight framework

The complexity and advanced nature of modern biotechnology, and its extensive implications for society regarding prosperity, risk and ethics, make a view of the future that is comprehensible and transparent to society desirable. The objective of this feasibility study was to investigate methodologies for strategic planning and regulatory decision-making in technologies involving genetically modified (GM) crops. The planning and regulatory decisions of both the biotechnology industry and public authorities are considered. In the study, knowledge and opinion about a well-defined problem complex are systematically brought together in the consultation of a larger number of stakeholders and experts representing as many major perspectives as possible. On the basis of a test case on the development of a GM-ryegrass, this paper suggests a methodological approach to the uncertainties faced by the biotech industry and public authorities when GM crops are commercialized. The method used was a technology foresight (TF) framework, using a life cycle inventory (LCI) to define the problem complex, a stakeholder panel to identify drivers (of change) that influence the direction of future developments, and weighted stakeholder questionnaires to prioritize these drivers. Once quantified, the weighted stakeholder opinion generated a clear criterion for prioritizing drivers that were judged to be important in the future development of a GM-ryegrass but whose precise impact was uncertain. The four drivers prioritized were: being the first to market the GM-ryegrass, an efficient network on biomolecular know-how, public dialogue and participation in regulation procedures and utility value.     

Managing the Risks Associated with Using Biomedical Ethics Advice

This paper discusses the criticisms that exist about corporate use of ethics advice by bioscience companies and offers suggestions on how ethics advisors can be used so as to maximize their utility and avoid the criticism.     

Knowledge spillovers in biotechnology: sources and incentives

This paper sheds light on the questions, Why does knowledge spill over? and How does knowledge spill over? The answer to these questions we suggest lies in the incentives confronting scientists to appropriate the expected value of their knowledge considered in the context of their path-dependent career trajectories. In particular, we focus on the ability of scientists to appropriate the value of knowledge embedded in their human capital along with the incentive structure influencing if and how scientists choose to commercialize their knowledge. We conclude that the spillover of knowledge from the source creating it, such as a university, research institute, or industrial corporation, to a new-firm startup facilitates the appropriation of knowledge for the individual scientist(s) but not necessarily for the organization creating that new knowledge in the first place.     

乳制品加工中生物技术的运用

随着市场经济的不断发展,我国科学技术取得了较大的突破。尤其是生物技术在食品加工及食物成分检测过程中发挥了重要作用。自从三聚氰胺食品事件出现之后,我国食品加工行业加强了市场监管,特别是在乳制品加工生产中,采用更加先进的生物技术,对乳制品中的相关有害成分和不达标成分进行检测分析,以此确保了我国食品生产加工的卫生与安全。基于此,从我国食品加工生产行业中乳制品加工生产实际出发,通过对生物技术在乳制品加工中的具体应用情况进行分析,以此确保我国乳制品生产企业能够健康、稳定发展。     

我国生物技术发展态势分析

统计分析了我国2000—2005年生物技术领域发表的论文情况,揭示我国生物技术领域的发展趋势。     

我国生物医药产业发展的前瞻性研究

随着人们对生命健康的日益重视,生物医药产业已成为了世界各国关注的焦点、我国的生物医药产业与国外相比存在不小的差距,本文将以国内外产业发展趋势为切入点,分析国内生物医药产业存在的问题,为产业的进一步发展提供针对性的建议。