– Classification of themes – All

18 Oct Establishing high-level evidence for the safety and efficacy of medical devices and systems

Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (RAEng)
2013
A summary of a roundtable forum held on 16 January 2013 hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering and The Academy of Medical Sciences.
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18 Oct Perspectives on Biotechnology Communication. Controversies – Contexts – Formats2

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2012
Biotechnology, and genetic engineering in particular, have been a point of focus for public debate in Germany for almost 40 years. However, controversy in social and academic settings centres around specific application rather than on the theory of biotechnology itself. Conceptualizing this public controversy as a lack of acceptance that can be overcome by providing greater information misses the point. Controversy is by nature important, and should not be swept under the carpet by communications. When it comes to new technologies, dialogue between scientists and the public at large is vital.
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18 Oct Value created from productive oceans in 2050/ English

Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences (NTVA)
2012
The report presents a summary of the potentials for marine industries in Norway. The scale of value generation in marine sector in 2050 is estimated to of the order 70 billion EUR.
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18 Oct Food from the Ocean – Norway’s Opportunities/ English

Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences (NTVA)
2013
The volume contains the written version of the talks presented at a symposium with the title "Food from the Ocean – Norway's Opportunities".
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18 Oct Manufacturing and its Prospects

Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE)
2015
John Mc Gowan, President (IAE)- 2015 Paper presented at the Dublin Economics Workshop 2015. Concentrated on future prospects for pharma and biotech industries and support environment required.
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18 Oct Biotechnology for all

Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW)
2015
Biotechnological research is no longer limited to specialist laboratories: a growing community of biologists, amateur enthusiasts and technophiles is experimenting in kitchens, workshops and DIY laboratories. Some people view the democratisation of biotechnology as a threat, others as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of complex scientific interrelationships within society. A few years ago, something which occurred in software development in the early 1990s also began to emerge in the field of biotechnology: “open source” and “do-it-yourself” (“DIY”) strategies are opening up a field of knowledge traditionally occupied by experts, universities and large companies to a broader community. In 2008, a handful of technology enthusiasts in Boston set out to drag biotechnological research out of established institutions into garages and kitchens in urban and rural settings. Since then, Europe, the USA and Asia have seen the emergence of dozens of garage laboratories with scales, mixers, refrigerators and incubators, all purchased cheaply from eBay. Some laboratories are also equipped with homemade bioanalytical devices. Inquisitive laymen and experienced researchers conduct experiments shoulder to shoulder, pursuing personal biotech research projects or simply indulging in the satisfaction of DIY.
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18 Oct Renewable instead of fossil resources

Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW)
2015
The current price of oil lessens the urgency of replacing fossil with renewable base materials. Yet due to oil’s finite nature, one day this replacement will become inevitable. Addressing this issue today, launching and intensifying research and development activities, therefore represents a major opportunity for Switzerland. Thanks to its academic institutions, its existing infrastructure and its industry, the country is starting from a good position despite difficult economic framework conditions. The new SATW brochure “Renewable instead of fossil resources – An opportunity for Switzerland” describes the current state of technology as regards the production of basic materials, active substances and reusables. It makes the distinction between quasi-available technologies and processes as yet only existing at a conceptual level. It also addresses the necessary and promising industrial combination of biotechnology and chemistry. The survey ends with biorefineries, which in Switzerland have not yet moved beyond the conceptual stage. The brochure closes with a brief list of conclusions and four recommendations, which one can only hope will meet with constructive interest within industry, politics and the population at large, so that this “opportunity for Switzerland” may truly be seized.
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18 Oct White biotechnology and synthetic biology

National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF)
2012
Biotechnology is the application of S&T to living organisms. White biotechnology (Bio-Based Industries - BBl) uses renewable carbon sources  in fermentation processes to produce food compounds, fuels, specialties and chemical commodities, and plastics.  Synthetic biology (SB) introduces engineering principles into biotechnology, promoting the emergence of a true bio-economy.  Although endowed with a well-developed agriculture and BBI-related research, there are only about a dozen companies engaged in applications of SB to BBl in France, including start-ups, intermediate enterprises, and Total, resulting in few industrial realisations. The sector is considered risky by investors.  A consistent effort to train  engineers and PhD-students in these areas is essential.  Regarding risks, traditional BBI-products must be distinguished from SB-products in specific sectors. Upstream from industrial SB-applications on a large scale, research on the security, safety, ethics, toxicology and ecotoxicology is vital.  The academic SB community self-regulates its conduct in an effort of openness, transparency, anticipation and prevention of potential risks. Working-group leader: Pierre Monsan, director “Toulouse White Biotechnology” and NATF Fellow.
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18 Oct Synthetic biology and (white) industrial biotechnologies (Advice) – (Report only in French)

National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF)
2012
Biotechnology is the application of S&T to living organisms. White biotechnology (Bio-Based Industries - BBl) uses renewable carbon-sources in fermentation-processes to produce food compounds, fuels, specialties and chemical commodities, and plastics.  Synthetic biology (SB) introduces engineering principles into biotechnology, promoting the emergence of a true bio-economy.  Although endowed with a well-developed agriculture and BBI-related research, there are only about a dozen companies engaged in applications of SB to BBl in France, including start-ups, intermediate enterprises, and Total, resulting in few industrial realisations. The sector is considered risky by investors.  Consistent efforts to train engineers and PhD-students in these areas are essential.  Regarding risks, traditional BBI-products must be distinguished from SB-products in specific sectors. Upstream from industrial SB-applications on a large scale, research on the security, safety, ethics, toxicology and ecotoxicology is vital.  The academic SB-community self-regulates its conduct in an effort of openness, transparency, anticipation and prevention of potential risks.
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