Biotechnologists write development programs
Until January 25, 2010, the Government of the Russian Federation will receive for consideration the "Strategy for the development of the biotechnology industry of the Russian Federation for 2010-2020." The decision on this was made on December 4, 2009 in Moscow at a meeting of the Union of Enterprises of the Biotechnology Industry, where a preliminary draft of a long-term strategy was discussed. Earlier, on October 15, at Parliamentary hearings in the State Duma, the development of such a document was called the most important of numerous recommendations. The expert community did not take long to wait and prepared the concept of the document. In addition, it was decided to submit priority comprehensive scientific, technical and production projects to the Government of the Russian Federation for implementation within the framework of the Strategy.
The main developer of the Strategy is the Ovchinnikov Society of Biotechnologists of Russia (OBR), which since 2003 has united more than 3,000 scientists and specialists in 57 regions of the country, with the support of the Union of Biotechnology Industry Enterprises, which has been developing since 2004, as well as the Expert Council on the Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical Industry under the State Duma Committee on Industry.
This is the second large–scale document of the biotechnological community, the purpose of which is to ensure that the Government of the Russian Federation pays attention to the problem and begins the revival of the bioindustry in the country. Previously, a National Program for 2006-2015 was developed, which remained almost without attention at the federal level, but significantly contributed to the systemic development of the industry in the regions. In recent years, a number of regions have actively started developing and implementing their own biotechnology development programs (the Republic of Tatarstan, the Chuvash Republic, the Kirov Region and others), and this trend is gaining momentum.
"A comprehensive revival of biotechnologies in Russia is impossible without the support of the state and the adoption of a number of decisions at the highest level, since the industry is of great social and economic importance. The development of medicine directly and largely depends on biotechnology, providing the country with the most necessary medicines, including vaccines, the development of new drugs, including cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, diabetes and many other diseases, the development of agriculture and forestry, energy, the transfer of the chemical industry to biotechnology, environmental improvement, regional development and much more other. Therefore, it is necessary to identify priorities for the development of biotechnology and bioeconomics at the highest level," said Raif Vasilov, President of the OBR, one of the main developers of the expert strategy.
So far, the Russian budget, due to ignoring the biondustry, is losing enormous opportunities in the present and unique ones in the future. The European bioeconomy has an annual turnover of over 1,730 billion. euro, with an employment of more than 22 million people. In Russia – by orders of magnitude less: 101.8 billion. euros and 9.2 million people. There are already more than 1.5 thousand biotech companies in America, and no more than 50 in Russia. At the same time, bioindustry, according to biotechnologists, is a "lucky ticket" and the basis for converting Russia's geopolitical advantages into the economic development of the state. It is the bioindustry that is able to solve the key issues that the country is facing today in terms of depopulation and degradation of socio-economic aspects of life.
For example, experts pin great hopes for the revival of industrial biotechnology on the construction of 10-12 regional plants for the deep processing of surplus grain, which is being floated down rivers to Europe for a song and rotting in the bins. On the basis of cheap glucose from grain starch, it is possible to obtain a variety of biological products that replace industrial chemicals. Lactic acid, for example, is used to make clothes, CDs, coatings, and food packaging. This package, thrown into the trash, literally decomposes into water and carbon dioxide in 2-3 weeks. A polymer 1,3-propanediol is used for the manufacture of carpets, interior upholstery of cars, while being cheap, high energy efficiency, less environmental pollution.
One of the most important arguments in favor of the development of biotech presented at the meeting was the analysis of patent applications in Russia (2002-2006). It also indicates that the priority areas of innovative development of the Russian Federation on the basis of the existing scientific and technological potential are biotechnology (6,556 applications) and closely related pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and food chemistry. Nanotechnology (126 applications) is also one of the priorities of the 6th technological order, to which the developed world is moving, but none of the countries has chosen it as a strategic direction, as is observed today in Russia.
The draft Strategy lists the tasks in detail. The total volume of biotechnological products produced over 10 years in Tatarstan alone is estimated at 400-450 billion rubles.
In general, the share of the biotechnology segment in the country's product volume, if the program is successfully implemented, should be about 2-2.5% by 2020. To date, it is just above the zero mark.
A so-called "roadmap" has been prepared for each of the biotechnological areas: what, when and why to do. Among the expected effects from the implementation of the Strategy by 2020 are: replacing 30% of imported biopharmaceuticals with domestic ones, bringing the share of biofuels exclusively of domestic production to 5%, agricultural enterprises where biotechnologies are used instead of chemistry to 20%, ensuring the production of at least 10% of raw materials for the chemical industry based on biotechnologies, reducing the use of pesticides and insecticides 6 times , etc .
Which tasks will eventually be solved and whether they will be determined by the state, which, based on the Strategy, will find it much easier to choose the most important areas and projects, to support them in system operational management and implementation mechanism, including solving the problem of departmental disunity, to coordinate specific economic tasks and goals, to provide financial support in some cases both directly and in the form of preferences to domestic enterprises, including to solve the global problem of import dependence.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to the materials of the press service of the OBR
10.12.2009