Project

Fraunhofer Institute for
Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Inventory and analysis of national public policies that stimulate research in life sciences and biotechnology, its exploitation and commercialisation by industry in Europe (BIOPOLIS)

The objectives of the BIOPOLIS project are to provide an up-to-date and detailed overview of national policy instruments (including research funds) in the field of life sciences and biotechnology that existed in the period 2001-2004 in European countries, to relate the specific sets of instruments (i.e. inputs) in each country to the scientific and commercial performance of these countries (i.e. outputs) and to draw conclusions on best practices in innovation policy making in this field in Europe.

The study covered the 25 EU Member States, four candidate countries and Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. An overall European overview and analysis of the specific configurations of the life sciences and biotechnology policy making systems, the policy-directed and non-policy-directed funding of life sciences and biotechnology research, the trends in funding, the profiles of the European countries with respect to the funded life sciences and biotechnology areas and the trends in biotech areas was elaborated. Accordingly for each country the scientific and commercial performance in biotechnology was linked to the set of policy instruments used and funds spent on biotechnology research.

BIOPOLIS developed an innovative and upgraded methodology profiting from the lessons learned in a number of previous related projects. It can have an important impact on the development of an international accepted methodological framework for developing and implementing innovation input and output indicators in the field of biotechnology and contribute to the still very patchy OECD-activities in this field.

The results of the project will support strongly the implementation of Action 29 of the European Life Sciences and Biotechnology Action Plan. BIOPOLIS will facilitate the development of a shared vision for a more cooperative approach of national policies that can compensate for the absence of overall control and management mechanisms within Europe and that can also contribute to the realisation of a European Research Area.

The strategic information and analysis provided by the BIOPOLIS project on instruments used to implement biotechnology policy and on scientific and commercial performance in biotechnology in 32 European countries will facilitate coherent European policy making and will provide national policymakers with tools to benchmark their policy instruments and performance in the European context and learn from best practices.

Status:
Finished (12/04-01/07)

Client:
European Commission

Partners:
  • TNO Strategy, Technology and Policy (Coordination)
  • SPRU Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex
Publication:
Analytical report + 32 country reports