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Industrial Biotechnology Strategic Roadmap for Standards and Regulations Report Industrial Biotechnology – Strategic Roadmap for Standards and Regulations Contents

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Industrial Biotechnology Strategic Roadmap for Standards and Regulations Report Industrial Biotechnology – Strategic Roadmap for Standards and Regulations Contents Industrial biotechnology Strategic roadmap for standards and regulations Report Industrial biotechnology – strategic roadmap for standards and regulations Contents 1 Introduction 2 Industrial biotechnology 3 Industrial biotechnology towards net zero 5 Industrial biotechnology and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 Sector profile: biofuels 8 Sector profile: agritech 10 Sector profile: plastics 12 Sector profile: fine and speciality chemicals 14 Sector profile: textiles 15 Executive summary: roadmap and recommendations 18 Recommendations 18 Pathway 1: circular resource 30 Pathway 2: communication tools 42 Pathway 3: informed science-led approach 50 Pathway 4: supportive level playing field 66 Next steps 67 Appendix: organizations interviewed Industrial biotechnology – strategic roadmap for standards and regulations Introduction This report by the British Standards Institution (BSI) presents Five key sectors of IB application were covered in the scope of a strategic roadmap for the development of standards and this project as a lens for exploring opportunities and challenges: regulations as an enabling framework for UK Industrial agritech, biofuels, fine and speciality chemicals, plastics and Biotechnology (IB). It has been commissioned by Innovate UK textiles. in consultation with the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum (IBLF) in order to support the acceleration of IB as a The findings and recommendations are based on primary research conducted between April and August 2020, in contributor to CO2 emissions reduction and to attaining the UK’s legislated target of net zero greenhouse emissions by combination with desk research on the relevant standards 2050. and regulatory landscape. In-depth interviews were conducted with IB stakeholders and subject matter experts from over The focus of the roadmap is on opportunities for action and 50 organizations, representing a cross-section of sectors, results in the short to medium term, which is defined here as technologies, maturity stages and domain expertise. These the next 3-5 years. Opportunities include those in sectors and explored the opportunities for IB growth, the challenges applications which hold the greatest potential for IB-enabled faced, and the potential role of standards and regulations in CO2 reduction within this short timeframe. The roadmap also overcoming roadblocks and as a lever for IB momentum. The addresses the imperatives for achieving greater traction for IB list of organizations which participated in in-depth interviews is as a whole in the next few years, including where more material shown in the appendix to this report. results and impacts in terms of CO2 reduction and economic value are likely to require a longer horizon. Much is achievable The roadmap sets out recommended action areas for standards in 3-5 years that will lay the foundations for the UK’s ability to and regulations within an overarching strategic framework for capitalize on its world class science and optimize innovation the development of industrial biotechnology, with consideration and value from IB as a pivot towards a more sustainable given to the surrounding context, benefits, implementation economy. paths and timescales. Objectives and method Overall project objective To develop a stategic roadmap for standards and regulations affecting UK industrial biotechnology to accelerate reduction of CO2 emissions Stage 1 Stage 2 * Stage 3 Stage 4 Mobilize Research & analysis Identity & test options Implementation plan Method Sectors: Interviews with 50 IB stakeholders Desktop research of the with subject matter experts to Fine & current standards and explore opportunities and barriers Agritech Biofuels speciality regulatory landscape chemicals Plastics Textiles Identification of roadmap options for prioritization and validation Figure 1 1 Industrial biotechnology – strategic roadmap for standards and regulations Industrial biotechnology Industrial biotechnology involves the exploitation of biological The breadth of products and markets where IB can be deployed resources for the processing and production of enzymes, is a defining strength, yet IB is seldom recognized by consumers chemicals, materials and energy. It is recognized as a key and stakeholders outside its immediate value chains or user enabling technology that can contribute to addressing major markets, due to its status of an underpinning technology than societal challenges, through the use of sustainable alternatives an end product. This profile makes the impact of IB to the UK to fossil fuels for the manufacture of everyday products, as well economy hard to quantify, as it is embedded in the toolkits as for the discovery of breakthrough methods and pathways of manufacturing industries. Its value is, however, potentially to achieving entirely new functionalities and performance. IB much higher than the £3.7bn of revenue estimated in 2017 1, has already delivered considerable benefits to the UK through which contrasts with the £17.2bn 2014 turnover for industrial products ranging from antibiotics and vaccines, to biofuels, biotechnology and bioenergy estimated in the 2016 Evidencing food and feed, and plastics, as well as through recycling of the Bioeconomy2 report. Whatever the actual figure may be, wastes and reduced energy consumption for the manufacture the UK has for decades been a global leader in investing and of chemicals and other materials. excelling in the discovery of IB technologies, as well as in the development of an active, connected and collaborative industry- In recent years, the development of synthetic biology to further academic community needed to speed up innovation and drive novel solutions and provide platform technologies to commercialization. enable IB has seen significant interest and gains in commercial potential. Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary scientific field So, where are IB products found in our everyday lives? One that is considerably synergistic with industrial biotechnology, of the biggest areas is biofuels. These are fuels derived from and IB users will undoubtedly benefit as early adopters of renewable resources, such as sugars (ethanol) and vegetable this nascent industry. The hallmark of synthetic biology is its or animal oils and fats (diesel), which are then blended into application of engineering principles to biology in order to regular fuel, which is why they largely go unseen by those enable the design and synthesis of biologically based parts, who use them. Another large-scale application is in the novel devices and biological systems, all of which are today production of biological washing powders and liquids. Here, it underpinned by rapid advances in genetic and computational is the inclusion of enzymes such as proteases that breakdown technologies, which are boosting development of powerful proteinaceous materials, lipases that degrade fats, amylases gene engineering capabilities, while lowering the costs of for starch, and cellulases that get to work on a grass stain that DNA synthesis and sequencing. It creates step changes in the together give rise to the ‘biological’ descriptor. And it is thanks development of products to keep pace with socioeconomic to new enzymes (biocatalysts) that can work at much lower needs and add value to current IB offerings – and for this temperatures, such as 15oC, that we no longer need a 40oC + reason, the opportunities and development needs for synthetic wash to get clothes clean. biology are integral to the IB roadmap. “Industrial biotechnology has been in use for literally centuries. But it is the last few decades where it has been used to great effect, to make medicines, fuels, food, chemicals and much more. Certainly, IB is ubiquitous in industry nowadays, but it can be difficult to quantify the value of IB to the UK and showcase the benefits of the technology when it is simply one tool in a company’s toolbox of technologies.” 1 http://carbonrecycling.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/RSM-Industrial-Biotechnology-Landscape-Report-Summary.pdf 2 https://bbsrc.ukri.org/documents/1607-evidencing-the-bioeconomy-report/ 2 Industrial biotechnology – strategic roadmap for standards and regulations Increasingly, IB is set to become part of our daily lives, whether in: industries where the UK is already strong, such as fine and specialty chemicals, while its disruptive solutions in areas • The specialty enzymes used in our food and beverages from agritech to aviation fuels provide foundations on which • The biopharmaceuticals that are increasingly being used innovative new industries can evolve. to treat a range of illnesses including cancers, arthritis and Its strategic value also lies in its ability to be deployed across all dermatological conditions regions of the UK where there is evidence of the bioeconomy, • The alternative raw materials and chemistries in our personal including rural and coastal areas, as a leveller of economic care products, or growth. • The bio-based technologies that sustain our agri-food It is no exaggeration to say that industrial biotechnology is production chains. poised for expansion that will grow the economy, create high value jobs, contribute to net zero targets and deliver new Industrial biotechnology is strategically important as a key solutions for some of our most pressing global issues. But at enabler and integral component of a vibrant UK economy. the same time, there is a risk of being too easily swept along The bioeconomy, which in 2014 was estimated to contribute by a compelling, positive
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