The Marine Biotechnology Research and Innovation Roadmap has been launched!

Published on 13 October 2016

The roadmap document was officially presented to the European Commission at a public event in the afternoon of 12 October 2016 at the Hotel Marivaux Congress and Seminar Centre in Brussels. At the event, which gathered 65 participants, the ERA-MBT Coordinator, Steinar Bergseth, handed over the first issue of the printed roadmap to Policy Officer Vanessa Campo Ruiz from DG RTDI of the EC. She congratulated ERA-MBT with the publishing of this important document, which is looking forward to 2030, and in her address explained how it would fit into the EU policies and funding opportunities supporting marine biotechnology. She emphasised that the financial support to marine biotechnologies represents a substantial component of the total support for activities within the area ‘Aquatic living resources’ in the work programme Horizon 2020. While marine biotechnology can be considered an enabling technology for processing within the value chain from marine resources to marketed products, there may also be benefits in collaborating with horizontal activities as in the newly established Cofund CoBioTech.

Subsequently, invited speakers gave examples on how the Roadmap would give important directions for developments within the industry and the research community. The Bio-based Industry Consortium is an important Public-Private Partnership, which also has an aquatic component where marine biotechnology may be further developed. Speakers also emphasised the importance of establishing good networks and international collaborations, while it was pointed to the importance of proper Access and Benefit Sharing for successful bioprospecting. In the future, we will see more complexity when maintaining balanced, healthy and productive marine ecosystems. This calls for increased multi-national collaboration and increased interdisciplinary work.

It was concluded, as also stated by the chair of the ERA-MBT International Advisory Group, Rachael Richie, in the preface to the Roadmap document, that ‘it is clear that the marine biotechnology roadmap provides a framework for future marine biotechnology research and innovation activities creating new biomaterial supply chains’.

Developing a roadmap for future research and innovation was a key project deliverable and it will set the direction for future marine biotechnology developments and transnational activities in Europe. Following the launch of the Marine Biotechnology Research and Innovation Roadmap, a stakeholder meeting will be held in Brussels building on the key elements of the Roadmap and will feature a wide range of speakers from international industry and the research community.