The global bioeconomy is projected to expand at a rapid pace in the coming decade due to advancements in key technology areas, such as the ability to program microbes to act as microscopic factories by manipulating their DNA. The U.S. bioeconomy—defined as economic activity derived from the life sciences, particularly in the areas of biotechnology and biomanufacturing, including industries, products, services, and the workforce—has the potential to create thousands of jobs and billions in economic growth.
Biomanufacturing is the use of biological systems to produce goods and services at [a] commercial scale and enables the conversion of plants, waste materials, and industrial off-gas into molecules that form the building blocks of everyday consumer products, medicines, fuels, and more. Sustained growth in U.S. biomanufacturing capacity—the ability to produce with the infrastructure and operational resources available—is the key to growing the bioeconomy.
The Biden-Harris Administration recognized the specific role of biomanufacturing in growing the bioeconomy, and through the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy (Bioeconomy EO), President Biden directed federal departments and agencies to develop a plan to expand biomanufacturing capacity for health, energy, agriculture, and industrial sectors.
Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a report on Building a Vibrant Domestic Biomanufacturing Ecosystem. This report describes the current state of U.S. biomanufacturing capacity and identifies key factors driving growth.
Stakeholders indicated that while the United States has maintained a leadership role in biomanufacturing innovation, we still need infrastructure to scale-up technology and produce in America. The report identifies 11 actions that policymakers could consider in order to sustain the U.S. biomanufacturing capacity that has been catalyzed by the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader Investing in America agenda. This modern industrial strategy supports our climate and clean energy goals, builds stronger supply chains, reshores American manufacturing, and advances American leadership around the globe. Federal departments and agencies could work through the National Bioeconomy Board to coordinate and prioritize actions strategically to build on the momentum of the Bioeconomy EO.
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The Bioeconomy EO also established the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative (NBBI), which has spurred significant action to expand the U.S. bioeconomy and impacted biomanufacturing capacity. Under the NBBI, the Biden-Harris Administration is bolstering and coordinating federal research and development to address societal goals, fostering a biological data ecosystem to enable safe and secure innovation, boosting sustainable biomass production, preparing a diverse workforce, clarifying and streamlining biotechnology regulations, promoting standards and metrics to inform decision-makers.
Federal investments since the 2022 signing of the Bioeconomy EO have increased from $2.7 billion to more than $3.5 billion, including recently announced awards in biomanufacturing from the Department of Defense, BioMADE, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development office, and Department of Energy’s Loans Program Office. The President’s commitment to grow the bioeconomy has spurred $46 billion in public and private sector biomanufacturing investments for projects across the country since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration.
The Bioeconomy EO lays out a policy framework for continued government coordination. We encourage stakeholders to continue the momentum for U.S. innovation in biotechnology and biomanufacturing.
