EU Presidency conference calls for a higher priority for biotech research
Participants at a Danish Presidency conference on life sciences and biotechnology have called for more cross-disciplinary research in the area, and have suggested other measures to boost the sector. The event, organised by the Danish Presidency and the EU Commission, aimed to identify effective strategies for implementing the Commission's action plan for life sciences and biotechnology within the forthcoming Sixth Framework Programme. Specifically, delegates discussed how to improve competitiveness and promote biotechnology research on a sustainable basis. Opening the conference in Copenhagen on 21 October, Danish Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Helge Sander said: 'Biotechnology will help us reach the European goal for the next decade. Europe's ambition is to become the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world.' Certain objectives appeared repeatedly in the comments of participants, such as the need to increase public and private funding for biotechnology research, the importance of fostering an interest in the natural sciences among students, and the need for further cooperation between universities and industry. Mr. Sander highlighted this final issue by calling for 'a running dialogue between industry, universities and research institutions.' Oslo University Professor Svein Sjøberg explained the difficulty of finding students who wished to become researchers. 'Young people today choose their subject more on the basis of what offers them personal satisfaction, and they do not stay with the same company for a long time. These characteristics are not easily compatible with natural science research, which is of a very long-term nature,' he said. Some delegates repeated calls for the lifting of the moratorium on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The moratorium, which blocks marketing approval for any new genetically modified plants or food, was introduced by certain Member States after their citizens expressed concerns about GMOs. Stefan Marcinowski from the German chemicals company BASF said that: 'Today, GMOs are seen as an advantage for agriculture and producers. The next generation must also see GMOs as an advantage to consumers.' Many of the issues raised during the conference will be on the agenda of the Competitiveness Council's meeting in November to discuss and adopt a road map for the EU's strategy on bioscience and biotechnology.