Biotechnology in Argentina: Development and Resources

Biotechnology related developments in Argentina have gained momentum in the past few years. The creation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovative Production in 2007 that focuses on high-tech growth in technology related fields including biotechnology, demonstrates the public sector commitment to a field with a thriving business sector and promising improvements in research and development. By embracing its agricultural advantage and investing in research and innovation, Argentina has seen its stock of biotech companies grow to 120, of which 90 percent are domestic small and medium size. Today, biotechnology researchers in Argentina engage in international collaboration with other scholars and globally recognized institutions and the country has bilateral agreements with other countries to support biotechnology related research and development. There are many governmental and non-profit organizations that are influential in shaping Argentina’s vision on biotechnology. Although the government places importance in providing support in biotechnology research, innovation and investment, the paper argues that the rapid growth trends in the industry requires biotechnology to become higher on the national agenda. The lack of a royalty collection system, the absence of patent protection, and the inadequate sources of venture capital still remain as important problems. Attracting new forms of foreign capital, higher investment in infrastructure, building on existing regional and global networks in research and development, are all important areas for improvement to advance biotechnology in Argentina.

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