Biopower: What the US needs to do to counter China and secure its biotechnology leadership

[T]he Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a major new report, Biopower: Securing American Leadership in Biotechnology by Vivek Chilukuri and Hannah Kelley. The report identifies key strengths and challenges for U.S. biotechnology leadership, surveys biotechnology-leading nations abroad—with a particular focus on China—and outlines an ambitious strategy to help secure U.S. biotechnology leadership for a generation. For the first time, the report introduces the concept of “biopower”—a nation’s capacity to harness emerging biotechnologies to enhance national and economic security—and describes its vast potential applications for defense, health, energy, and food security.

The report finds that the United States now stands as the preeminent biopower, propelled by an unrivaled innovation ecosystem, world-leading research institutes, unmatched private investment, top talent, and a global network of democratic partners and allies. At the same time, the report details China’s concerted efforts to eclipse the U.S. position—pointing, for example, to its existing dominance in synthetic biology and pharmaceutical supply chains—and concludes that without bold new policy, investment, and partnership, Beijing is on track to succeed.

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