From Policy to Practice Actionable Recommendations for a Commercial Bioeconomy 2025

Policy framework: actionable recommendations for a commercial bioeconomy TABLE 1 Recommendation category 1: Technology-informed and accessible regulation to drive commercialization Country/region Recommendation Example EU1. Greater access to testbeds for commercial bio-innovationTest Farms empowers start-ups and individuals with groundbreaking agritech solutions to test and validate their products and services on real farms.7 UK2. Streamlined regulatory pathways designed for purposeThe UK’s Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)8 aims to streamline regulation that drives commercialization. Japan3. Embed and empower technical experts in regulation-makingJapan’s SciREX Program promotes policy “coevolution” based on the dialogue between government policy-makers and SciREX researchers.9 Israel4. Greater exposure to regulation-makingThe Israel Innovation Authority’s Disruptive Innovation Program10 provides awardees with direct and ongoing support from the Israeli Ministry of Health to navigate and facilitate regulatory processes. Recommendation category 2: Delivering a market-pull bioeconomy through government-instituted incentives Country/region Recommendation Example China5. Incentivize early adopters through targeted tax creditsChina offers various tax incentives, including preferential rates and deductions, to encourage corporations, especially those in biotechnology and other high-tech sectors, to scale innovation and R&D.11 Canada6. Direct incentives for consumers to adopt bioproductsAimed at helping Canadian homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient, the Greener Homes Grant offers up to CAD 5,000 (Canadian dollars) to cover the cost of eligible retrofits.12 Zambia7. Government-supported programmes for large corporations to beta test and scale bio-innovationSunbird Bioenergy’s ethanol project in Zambia has received government support through a blended ethanol programme and other incentives and aims to produce 120 million litres of fuel-grade ethanol annually.13 Recommendation category 3: Blended financing that is government-driven and tailored for commercializing bio-innovation Country/region Recommendation Example Singapore8. Increase the use of blended and creative financing to balance risk between public and private funds and enhance overall investmentIn Singapore, the government partners with private sector investors to invest in innovative, Singapore-based deep tech start-ups that have strong potential to scale globally.14 US9. Government provision of larger tranches of funding earlier in a company’s life cycleThe Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has provided $25 million in funding for a series A company, Cellino, for their next generation, ultra-scalable biomanufacturing platform.15 Germany10. Government funding that is flexible and right-sized to bio-innovationThe Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-D) offers flexible financing timelines tailored to the unique needs of disruptive innovation.16 India11. Increased government funding for domestic manufacturing infrastructureThe Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has outlined funding mechanisms to support the establishment of biomanufacturing hubs in India, aimed at setting up infrastructure for pilot-scale production, process optimization and commercialization of bio-based products.17 Recommendation category 4: Bolstering bioeconomy education and reskilling with innovation ecosystems Country/region Recommendation Example Brazil12. Government-funded programmes explicitly aimed at bioeconomy education and reskillingThe National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Brazilian National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI) fund vocational training programmes in biofuels, biomaterials and agribiotech, and builds technical training centres for bioeconomy workforce development.18 Thailand13. Sustained investment in bio- focused regulatory expertiseThe International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) has an intensive training programme on agribiotech biosafety regulation and effective communication.19 South Korea14. Investing in innovation ecosystem networksSouth Korea’s Bio-Great Transformation Strategy seeks to integrate 20 bioclusters nationwide, promoting collaboration and infrastructure sharing.20 From Policy to Practice: Actionable Recommendations for a Commercial Bioeconomy 8