jahmed1_LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQBelgaAFP via Getty Images_biotech LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ/Belga/AFP via Getty Images

Building a Biotech Alliance of Democracies

From pathogen risks and the security of biodata to the ability to bioengineer solutions to our most intractable challenges, the coming era presents both considerable perils and immense opportunities to transform our world. And the new era will begin at a time of heightened competition between democratic and authoritarian countries.

WASHINGTON, DC – Like electricity and artificial intelligence, biotechnology is poised to drive a general-purpose leap in human history. Offering the ability to manipulate the very essence of life as we know it, biotechnology represents a multi-trillion-dollar sector that straddles industries as diverse as agriculture, health, materials, and energy.

From pathogen risks and the security of biodata to the ability to bioengineer solutions to our most intractable challenges, the coming era presents both considerable perils and immense opportunities to transform our world at both the molecular and global levels. And the new era is beginning at a time of heightened competition between democratic and authoritarian countries that apply different norms and values to biotechnology.

Fortunately, the United States and its allies and partners have a head start. According to Pitchbook, the US remains the world’s leading originator and destination of biotech investments, with US-based firms raising $466 billion in 2022 – roughly ten times the amount of Chinese-origin capital. Close to 90% of that US capital goes toward domestic investment, highlighting America’s role as both a global innovation hub and a marketplace for leading-edge biotech.

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