SBE supplement: Commercializing industrial biotechnology -technology challenges and opportunities

Industrial biotech is the third wave of modern biotechnology, and it promises to be the biggest wave. Many industrial biotech initiatives are struggling in an environment of low oil and gas prices and lack of clear, stable government policy. They are competing for capital with information technology (IT) startups that require only caffeine and a laptop. Industrial biotech needs a proponent in government that is analogous to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), which has done a remarkable job of translating its $30billion/yr expenditures into benefits and in educating the U.S. Congress. It is important to maintain an integrated scientific/engineering approach throughout the experimental program, with clear targets and iterative techno-economic analysis. Avoid project handoffs from one functional group to another. To accelerate progress and ensure success, bring together the best scientific, engineering, and project management expertise.