But the 283-page study, "Biotechnology in a Global Economy," warns that several factors could gnaw away at the U.S.'s competitive edge: the difficulty in getting financing to support biotechnology firms, the lack of uniformity in international intellectual property law, and regulatory delays and undefined policies within the agencies overseeing biotechnology. The report also acknowledges that as countries become increasingly interdependent economically, leadership in the field will become more difficult to assess.
Although various nations have targeted biotechnology as an engine for economic growth, they are still not competitive with the U.S., says a recent Office of Technology Assessment report entitled "Biotechnology in a Global Economy." What these countries are lacking, says the report, is the research and industrialization potential present in the U.S.~ Targeting alone is not the key to success, says Kevin O'Connor, project director for the report. "Money without innovative science doesn't cut it," he says. "And without ...
