The European biotechnology funding map

Biotechnology is an industry with very strong links to basic science. Therefore, the commercialisation of biotechnology draws heavily on public funded research. All European countries have developed policies to support biotechnology. This contribution gives an overview of public funding activities in all European member states during the 90s and identifies the biotechnology areas which received funding in the different countries. About 50% of all funds were channelled to biomedical research. Plant biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, and the cell factory were other important targets of public funding. Other fields such as animal biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, and non-technical areas of biotechnology were largely ignored by public funding in most European countries. Future funding trends indicate that this pattern will be mainly preserved.