The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #030

Advancements in medical research, increasing environmental concerns and the surging demand for sustainable solutions have all contributed to the growth of the biotechnology sector over the last few years. 

Unsurprisingly, the majority of biotech investments focus on medical applications but there's a growing trend of convergence between more broad biotechnology innovations and national defence strategies. This comes as governments worldwide are recognising the potential of biotechnology to address critical national security challenges, from agricultural supply chain resilience to sustainable high-performance materials.

The UK: MoD in Phase 2 of Biotech Competitions

The UK continues to follow the 2023 National Vision for Engineering Biology with its push to be a global leader in the sector. Within this plan was consideration of how the Ministry of Defence (MoD) could make use of the fast-paced field. However since 2022, the MoD has launched initiatives to explore the potential of biotechnology for defence and security challenges, staggering two phases of Engineering Biology for Defence Security. The most recent, Phase 2 of their Engineering Biology competition focuses on power source, energy storage, materials and sensing solutions. 

The US: Biotech, Climate-tech and Defence Integration

Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s continued support of the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology has propelled the US to be front runners across all biotechnology sub-industries.

Part of the push is the Department of Defense (DoD), allocating $1B (£770M) to bioindustrial domestic manufacturing infrastructure from 2022 through 2027 for the integration of biotechnology into national security strategies. The technologies considered for these grants go beyond the traditional medical and military-facing solutions but also encompass the more climate-tech-focused solutions. 

In January this year, the DoD launched the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP) aims to harness America’s bioeconomy to strengthen and build the resilience of national supply chains across ingredients and materials. This initiative has resulted in the DoD having awarded 25 companies a total of $42M (£32M) to support bioindustrial facility developments. The applications of these companies span across agriculture, materials and adhesives and offer an incredible showcase of the potential of the bioindustry outside of a medical context. 

Start-Ups Reframe Sustainable Solutions As Resilient Solutions

There's been a gradual uptick in defence contracts with climate tech firms over the last five years, reflecting the growing recognition of the intersection between climate resilience and national security. This has led to many startups reframing their technology to encompass defence objectives and embodying their potential as reliable solutions. 

A perfect example is Debut, a biotechnology company with a mission to shift the ingredients within the beauty industry from petroleum-based products to sustainable biobased ingredients that utilise the power of biomanufacturing. This company has landed itself a US Defence contract, leveraging its portfolio of ingredients and biomanufacturing processes to address supply chain vulnerabilities, “We are very focused on beauty, which makes up 95% of our business,” says Joshua Britton (Debut Founder and CEO). “But multiple ingredients used in the beauty industry are also used in various military and commercial products. We saw an opportunity to consolidate our process to secure the U.S. supply chain for our customers.”

The Growing Demand for Sustainable and Resilient Solutions

As the world faces a range of security challenges, from pandemics to climate change, the demand for safe high-performance materials and more secure supply chains increases. Logically Defence departments are turning to emerging technologies including the bioindustry sector for expertise and solutions that can enhance national security. For those start-ups able to reframe their solutions for national security, there is an opportunity to develop and secure their supply chains whilst also bagging a government defence contract. 

The growing partnership between defence departments and the biotech sector is a testament to the recognition of the potential of these technologies to address critical national security needs.

See you next week, 

Ariyana and the House of Biodesign Team

Calling material innovators and brands

If you are a brand or material innovator who has been involved in a collaboration in the past year. Please email us ([email protected]) with details and images, if you would like to share the project with the House of BioDesign community.

Behind The Breakthrough Issue #3

Colourants and pigments bring life to designs, however, they often come at the expense of the environment and workers' health.

We spoke to Benjamin Droguet, CEO of Sparxell about the science behind the sustainable sparkle with their cellulose-based colours that use principles straight from nature's handbook.

If you missed it have a read and let us know who you want to hear from next by replying to this email or reaching out on LinkedIn.

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