With the ambitious target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030 and the EU Green Deal, the EU has set clear goals to transform the bloc´s economy making it more sustainable while supporting the EU recovery.
Life sciences and biotechnology remain critical key-enabling technologies for the economy, generating GDP of over €34.5 billion, employing 223,000 people directly in the EU and generating a trade surplus of €22 billion in 2018. Moreover, the CO2 mitigation potential of industrial biotech is estimated between 1-2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year by 2030.
The Danish life science and biotechnology contributed to the local economy with over €14 billion export of goods and employing around 48,000 jobs in 2019. Given the importance of this sector for the Danish economy, the government is working on a new political strategy for the life science sector to succeed the sector’s growth plan implemented in March 2018.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to employ a holistic and strategic approach and exploit synergies among various EU policies, such as in the areas of research and innovation, industry and health. Furthermore, it showed us that the speed at which technologies develop requires that legislation is constantly up-to-date and able to embrace new sustainable innovation. Investing in the transition to a new sustainable economy requires modernised legislation that can support the green transition in the Member States and support the advancement of the EU life science and biotechnology to ensure they continue their main purpose to support the European Union’s ambitious agenda for healthy people and healthy planet.
VIRTUAL EVENT
Algal Omega-3 is an innovative feed product for aquaculture. It reduces the impact on climate change by 30-40% compared to fish oil and saves 60 tons of wild fish for every ton of Algal Omega-3 used.
Cheese is a vegetarian product thanks to biotechnology. Biotechnology is also essential to produce lactose- or cholesterol-free cheese, as well as alternative proteins.
Clothes made from alternative fibres produced by microorganisms can be 8x stronger than steel, 100% recyclable, biodegradable and replace fossil-fuel based or resource-intensive textiles.
The biomanufacturing of Vitamin B2 led to the reduction of 75% of fossil raw materials and 50% operating costs, compared to the chemical process. Vitamin B2 is used in the food, feed or healthcare sectors.
Enzymes and biosurfactancts are alternative ingredients that improve the performance of detergents, while leading to water and energy savings and reductions in CO2 emissions and water toxicity.
Insulin is one of the most widely known biopharmaceutical. Biotechnology revolutionised its manufacturing process and led to the development of new types of insulin through r-DNA technology.