New International Bioeconomy Forum Strengthens Engagement Between U.S. and India on Promoting and Protecting the Bioeconomy

On September 13, 2024, the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) and the U.S. National Academies' International Bioeconomy Roundtable held an in-person event at the Global Bio-India 2024 conference in New Delhi, India, to discuss the scope of a new National Academies initiative, the International Bioeconomy Forum.

Biotechnology and biomanufacturing are increasingly seen as key sectors for economic growth in several countries around the world. In 2020, the National Academies highlighted the importance of working with international partners to advance bioeconomy-related R&D and address risks to national bio-based economic efforts. In 2022, the U.S government reinforced this position in policy.

This new forum, set to launch in early 2025, will serve as an ongoing, neutral platform for experts in academia, industry, government, and NGOs to explore opportunities and challenges in the global bioeconomy, focusing on complex and interconnecting issues in promoting and protecting bioeconomies. The forum will discuss the benefits of emerging biotechnologies, potential security risks, and national policies, international standards, and best practices in the biotechnology and biomanufacturing sectors to support the global bioeconomy.

"The forum comes at a momentous time with India's new BioE3 policy, which is aimed at fostering biotechnology and biomanufacturing and emphasizes the urgent need to harmonize the terminologies and sectors within the bioeconomy to fully measure its global impact," said Narayanan Suresh of ABLE during the event. "Additionally, the G20 Secretariat, under Brazil's 2024 presidency, is leading efforts to globally harmonize bioeconomy definitions."

Carmen Shaw, director of the future International Bioeconomy Forum, emphasized the importance of the new global platform for building joint efforts between the U.S., India, and members of the international bioeconomy community. During her remarks, Shaw recognized India as a key global bioeconomy leader and mentioned that the forum aims to foster international dialogue on bioeconomy governance, safety, and security.

"The International Bioeconomy Forum represents a historic milestone as one of the first global platforms from the U.S. Academies on this topic," Shaw said. "It is only fitting that this forum begins bilaterally with India, a key driver in advancing the future of biotechnology and biomanufacturing."