Measuring Cross-Cutting and Emerging STI Issues

The existing rhetoric on the future benefits of biotechnology could be summarized as: biotechnology is the next technology wave that will deeply transform the economy and society by providing products and processes that will solve health problems, feed the world with new agricultural products, heal the environment and provide sustainability. Beyond the rhetoric, the indicators of biotechnology activities reveal an emerging phenomenon that is still relatively small. Many actors from the private sector, governments and universities are convinced of the future success of biotechnology. A recurring policy question is: What evidence provides a solid basis or argument for government to invest in biotechnology?