China’s State Council issued a policy paper on June 2 to stimulate the country’s bio-industry, aiming to build a number of big enterprises with multinational operation, innovation-oriented small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and industrialization bases.
Efforts should be made to attract more technologies, talents and capital to the bio-industry and build an innovation system with companies playing the leading role. Important technologies, products and standards with Chinese independent intellectual property rights have to be developed.
The document also identifies priorities in the sectors of bio-pharmaceutical, bio-agriculture, bio-energy, bio-manufacturing and bio-environmental protection.
Governments at all levels are required to invest more on R&D and industrialization of bio-tech, especially on demonstration projects of priority technologies.
The national government will give support to biodegradable materials and bio-energy products, including non-grain made fuel ethanol, bio-diesel, biomass thermal power, etc.
Enterprises, research institutions, higher education institutions and individuals are encouraged to file for IP for new botanic varieties, patents and trademarks.
Independently developed bio-products will apply at the priority of the government procurement list.
Favorable tax treatment will be granted to R&D costs for new technologies, new techniques and new products.
The document also stresses the importance of more efforts on protection of biogenetic resources, bio-safety management and ethical review of bio-research.
