White House releases interagency report to advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing for robust economic growth
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy
November 19, 2024
BY U.S. Department of Energy
The Biden-Harris administration released a new report, Building a Vibrant Domestic Biomanufacturing Ecosystem, to advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing as part of a broader national bioeconomy implementation plan. This announcement follows the 2022 National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative (NBBI) Executive Order 14081 signed by President Biden to establish a strategic direction for domestic biomanufacturing expansion in the United States.
The Building a Vibrant Domestic Biomanufacturing Ecosystem report was created by the Biomanufacturing Interagency Working Group, established to assess U.S. domestic biomanufacturing production capacity to determine the challenges associated with expanding capacity, identifying the research and development needs, and policy goals. The Working Group includes representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, National Security Council, Department of State, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
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According to this new White House report, the U.S. bioeconomy is predicted to grow at a rapid pace over the next two decades, adding hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs across nearly every sector of the economy. The report outlines the current state of U.S. biomanufacturing, as well as known gap areas, key drivers and policy needs that should be considered to expand domestic biomanufacturing capacity for products spanning the health, energy, agriculture, and industrial sectors with a focus on advancing equity, improving biomanufacturing processes, and connecting relevant infrastructure.
“Four key drivers potentially impact bioenergy manufacturing production capacity: economics, technology, infrastructure, and workforce,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE. “We know we need a strategy based on these four fronts to meet the growing demand for biomanufactured products. This will, in turn, create a vibrant bioeconomy with great, clean-energy jobs, high-tech environmental solutions, and long-term economic benefits for people, industry and institutions.”
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The research and development resources identified in this report will be critical to the U.S. government in guiding these strategic decisions and policies to not only sustain but grow the U.S. bioeconomy. By investing in and growing the biomanufacturing industry, the nation is enabling these innovative technologies and products to reach markets faster and establish the U.S. as a leader in the global bioeconomy.
For more information, view the full report and DOE’s fact sheet on Biotechnology & Biomanufacturing.
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