Introduction to Biotech Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Business, 1st ed. 2019 A European Perspective

Primarily intended for biotechnology graduates, this handbook provides an overview of the requirements, opportunities and drawbacks of Biotech Entrepreneurship, while also presenting valuable training materials tailored to the industrial and market reality in the European Biotech Business. Potential investors and business consultants will find essential information on the benefits and potential risks involved in supporting biotech businesses. Further, the book addresses a broad range of Biotechnology fields, e.g. food biotech, industrial biotech, bioinformatics, animal and human health. Readers will learn the essentials of creating innovations, founding a biotech start-up, business management strategies, and European funding sources. In addition, the book discusses topics such as intellectual property management and innovation transfer.

1 The potential of Biotechnology to generate prosperity            

Florentina ISRAEL-ROMING      

The chapter will provide an introduction in the book’s topic and an overview

on how biotech can contribute to create products and services for the growing

global needs and economic prosperity.

2 Doing business in Biotech - European paradigm versus American success       

Daniela ZIRRA

Why entrepreneurship in Biotech?

European framework of doing business in the Biotech area

The American perspective on Biotech entrepreneurial process

Key elements of developing entrepreneurship in Biotech - a brief comparative analysis

Reducing the gap between European and American entrepreneurial process in Biotech

3.1 Creating products and services in Plant Biotechnology         

Oscar VICENTE

Will be detailed different applications of plant biotechnology which provide opportunities

to entrepreneurs with background knowledge on plant biochemistry and molecular

biology, plant genetics and genomics, or related scientific areas, to create start-up

companies to deliver products or services. Those applications and products/services

will include the following: molecular breeding; genetic fingerprinting (detection of

fraud, analysis of genetic uniformity and contamination of seed lots, establishment

of genetic relationships of germplasm and breeding materials), in vitro culture

(micropropagation of plant material, production of pathogen-free plants using different

techniques); research services (design and development of research projects) in the field

of plant biotechnology; commercial production of secondary metabolites (plants as source

of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, fragrances and cosmetics, flavouring agents or food

protectors; genetically modified plants: use of transgenic plants as ‘biofactories’ for the

production of recombinant proteins and other compounds with applications in different

industries: pharmaceutical, food, detergents, paints, paper, etc.

3.2 Creating products and services in Environmental Biotechnology      

Calina Petruta CORNEA               

Phytoremediation of polluted environments - a green alternative

Microbial and vermiremediation – clean-up alternatives

Natural plant protection products (‘biopesticides’)

Energy production: finding and using novel plant sources and developing new, efficient

processes for the commercial production of biofuels (bioethanol, biodiesel) are

appealing objectives for start-ups, with big business potential.

3.3 Creating products and services in Human and Animal Health Biotechnology              

Maurilio SANPAOLESI   

Medicinal Biotechnology for Disease Modelling, Clinical Therapy, and Drug

Discovery and Development

State-of-the Art in Adult Stem Cell Biotechnology

State-of-the Art in Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Biotechnology

 “Organ-in-a Dish” for Disease Modelling, organoids, 3D printing

Microfluidic Enabling Biotechnologies for “Organ-on-chip” Medicinal Exploration

Toxicity Screening and Drug Discovery

Ex Vivo and In Vivo Stem Cell/Gene Therapies

3.4 Creating products and services in Industrial Biotechnology 

Carla EMILIANI

Industrial biotechnology is the driving force of sustainable development

Biocatalysis and industrial processes

Bio-based products

Restoration and conservation of artworks

The commitment of companies in the sector of the biotechnological drug

3.5 Creating products and services in Food Biotechnology         

Mona Elena POPA         

Food biotechnology is the application of various modern biotechnological techniques

to the food manufacture and processing. To enhance food security and food safety,

taste, shell life, nutrition, new innovative approach has been implemented through

advances in fermentation processes using protein and enzyme engineering, probiotics,

prebiotics and symbiotic or starter cultures with improved performances. Functional food,

nutraceuticals and nanobiotechnology as well as new trends in food bio-preservation using

bacteriocins, bacteriophages and natural antimicrobials will be reviewed. Bioeconomy

concept which is nowadays of special importance highlights the need for a better resource’s

management and valorization of food waste using biotechnologies and this issue will be

also addressed in this chapter.

3.6 Creating products and services in Bioinformatics     

Radu Cristian TOMA      

In this chapter will be defined Bioinformatics, emphasizing the interdisciplinary aspects.

data mining, Sequencing, Gene and Protein Expression, Structural bioinformatics, phylogenetic

tree construction, biological networks and their practical application. Also tools provided by

bioinformatics will be described (open-sources and web based services in bioinformatics,

educational programs and training platforms in bioinformatics). The chapter will analyse the

path of a Bioinformatics student toward entrepreneurship in USA context versus European context.

4 Start-up and management features in Biotech business         

Daniela ZIRRA

Micro and macro factors that stimulate the opening of a biotech business

Characteristic features of the entrepreneurial process in biotechnology

Specific elements of Starting-up a business in Biotech

Business managerial strategies in the Biotech Area

The role of innovation management in biotech business development

5 Financing and investing in Biotechnology        

Cristian PAUN

Sources of financing business in Biotech

Factors that stimulate investments in Biotech businesses

Impact of investing in biotechnologies on growth and economic development

Specific elements for evaluating the efficiency of investments in Biotech

6 Key elements of Biotech market         

Alexandra PERJU-MITRAN

The Social and Cultural Environment Influencing European Biotech Companies

The Technological Environment of Biotech Companies

The Economic Environment Influencing European Biotech Companies

The Political and Legal Environment of European Biotech Companies

7 Intellectual property and transfer of innovation in Biotechnology      

Cristina POPA   

Introduction to industrial property; the law of patents

Trade secrets and unfair competition

Balancing innovation and the public’s health

Innovation and technology transfer in a global economy

Performing the documentation in order to obtain the protection by an industrial property

right – drafting the documentation- case studies

Breeders rights vs protection by patent – case studies

Patentability and specific limitations for biosciences – case studies

Technology  transfer in Europe within the Life Sciences- case studies

8 European Biotech Entrepreneur Profile - a case study              

Florentina MATEI           

The chapter will include a collection of success stories in European Biotech Starts-ups

(business description and owners’ or administrators’ testimonials). Will cover different

field of Biotechnology (green, red, white).

Florentina Matei received her PhD in Biological Sciences from Osaka Prefecture University (2001), Japan, and another doctoral title in Oenology from UASMV Bucharest, Romania (2003). As researcher she has over 20 years’ experience the field of Life Sciences, respectively in applied microbiology, molecular biology oriented to food production and food safety, as well as in biomass production for biofuels. She has published over 80 research articles and study cases in high rated journals, indexed in International Databases and issued 5 patents. Dr. Matei authored or co-authored 12 books, including “Science and Technology of Fruit Wine Production” published by Elsevier-Academic Press. As teacher, she has over 20 years’ experience in the topics of general and applied microbiology (industrial, food, pharmaceutical, environmental). She coordinates the faculty network with stakeholders, including biotech business, and is the project manager of a strategic partnership project for higher education called “Supporting Biotechnology Students oriented towards an Entrepreneurial Path. She coordinated other multiple research and educational, national and international projects in FP7, Horizon 2020, Era-Net, ERA-IB, Erasmus+ or AUF programs. Furthermore, Dr. Matei is editorial member of different journals such as Romanian Biotechnological Letters and Scientific Bulletin Series F. Biotechnologies. She was/is also expert-evaluator and monitor in present or former research and educational programs since 2007 (Tempus, SEE-ERA-NET, Horizon 2020, Erasmus+, AUF). She is acting as consultant for the professional association “CBM Biotehgen” providing support in training, research and start-up in the field of biotechnology as well as consultancy to bio-based industry.

Enhances readers’ understanding on the economic, legal and technological forces that drive the biotech market

Intended for biotechnology graduates who are interested in entrepreneurship or investing in the biotech market

Provides strategies for creating products and services in diverse fields of biotechnology