High-Tech Agenda Germany (HTAD): Partner dialogue on industrial biotechnology

Following the partner dialogue on medical biotechnology in January, to which BIO Deutschland board member Klaus Maleck was invited, the partner dialogue on industrial biotechnology took place in February at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). Around 70 invited guests from federal and state ministries, academia, and industry discussed the best roadmap for achieving Goal 2 of the High-Tech Agenda Germany (HTAD). Goal 2 was presented by State Secretary Rolf-Dieter Jungk at the beginning of the event. It reads "We will develop Germany into the world's most innovative location for biotechnology, thereby creating a resource-efficient, competitive industry and increasing value creation in Germany." This was followed by an interactive rolling panel discussion in which the ideas and demands were discussed in an interdisciplinary manner. The Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) Biotechnology and the tight budgetary situation were among the topics discussed. Further points were taken up in the following breakout sessions. Particular emphasis was placed on the topics "Public-private partnerships for a bio-based industry" and "Research infrastructure IBISBA-ERIC." With a letter of intent, BIO Deutschland has advocated for Germany's membership in IBISBA-EU. IBISBA-EU is currently in the process of preparing for a European Infrastructure Research Consortium (ERIC), with the first of two steps already having been successfully completed.

To implement the HTAD, the BMFTR has launched a roadmap process for each key technology. A central component of this process is partner dialogues in which stakeholders from business, science, and politics actively participate in shaping the roadmap. The goal is to complete the first roadmaps for the key technologies as early as May.