BioP2P Staff
The global bioeconomy reached $4 trillion, but technical standards and metrics will be needed to support its future growth, according to a new report from a task force on the global bioeconomy.
The application of standards and metrics would help to ensure safety, improve efficiency in innovation pipelines, and support policies and legislation, the report said. But it also warned that issues could arise from continued global acceleration of the bioeconomy without standardization and metrics ranging from a lack of product quality assurances to interoperability of engineering biology technology.
The development of standards and metrics are needed to support reproducibility, reliability, and commercialization of engineering biology processes and products, as well as improve public perception, regulatory approvals, and sustainability assessments in the bioeconomy, the report said. It identified ten key areas for standards and metrics development. This includes such things as data standards, metrics to quantify biological process, and standards to enable the use of biomass feedstocks.
The report also found that training and education on standards and metrics are needed to promote the adoption and adherence to standards and metrics within the bioeconomy.
The Task Force on Engineering Biology Metrics and Technical Standards for the Global Bioeconomy is made up of experts from the United States, Europe, and Asia. It sought to identify technical standards and metrics that will enhance performance and scale-up in the bioeconomy. Imperial College London, the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National University of Singapore jointly coordinated the international collaboration. Schmidt Sciences provided support for the project.
It said going forward, input from stakeholders in government, academia, and industry, as well as international collaboration on standardization efforts will be needed.
The report can be found here.