SINGAPORE (CU)_ Across the world more and more nations are realizing the potential and need for developing biotechnology. Major advances have been made across the world and within the Commonwealth. The University of Rwanda a government University of Rwanda recently commenced a Master’s program in biotechnology in a move to further advance the scope of biotechnology which they hope to use in improving the crop yields for farmers tother with developing new drugs. Many Indian biotech companies have also been making the headlines such as its recent development of advanced techniques in cancer detection amongst others.
Here are some of the leading countries within the Commonwealth that have seen significant growth in the biotechnology sector.
India
The Make in India was introduced by the government to encourage growth of 25 different sectors where biotechnology is one of them. The constant expansion of Bio-services, Bio-agriculture, Bio-Industrials and Bio-IT have seen Indian biotech firms cater both to its large domestic as well as international markets.
Singapore
Singapore has always been a biotech hub with its business-friendly policies and its central location, making it a favorite of major global corporations to establish themselves. The city state has over 25 R & D companies and has seen significant funding from both private and government institutions.
Australia
Australia is another commonwealth nation that has seen significant growth in the biotech-sector particularly in Melbourne where between 40 to 50% of the countries biotech firms have set up their bases. The R & D companies that have set up operations are mainly the medical, agricultural and industrial biotech sectors.
New Zealand
New Zealand has always had ambitious plans in developing its biotech industry in spite its remote location. In fact, the nation currently has approximately 211 companies which was almost half that number roughly 10 years back. With a history of being a leading food exporting nation and also seeing significant growth in the horticulture and biomedical industries, the biotech sector is set to further expand in the coming years.
