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Biography |
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Daniel Pagliano is Uruguayan. He has a degree in Agronomy Engineering from the University of the Republic, Uruguay (1985) and a Master of Sciences in Molecular Biology, from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium (1989). Director of the Institute of Applied Biosciences, School of Agrarian Sciences, Universidad de la Empresa (UDE). Director of Agriculture, Education and Health Movement (MAES), a NGO which promotes an integrated vision from food production to health issues. Director of Vitae Latam, a company in genomics, education and health services. Former Director of the Latin American Federation of National Associations of Biotechnology Companies (FELAEB). Former Director and Founder of: Quiniman S.A., animal biotechnology company producing bovine embryos; Calister S.A., company which produces rhizobia inoculants (www.calister.com.uy); Biotec Plaza S.A., company of the Zonamerica Holding which administrates Zonamerica Business and Technology Park (www.zonamerica.com); REDBIO Foundation, a NGO which nucleates biotechnology laboratories in Latin America; Nidetec Holding dedicated to plant genetics, micropropagation and the production of commercial plantations of exportable fruits. Former Professor of Microbiology in the Faculty of Agronomy, University of the Republic, Uruguay. Former Scientist and Project Leader of the National Institute of Agricultural Investigation (www.inia.org.uy). Fellow from the Eisenhower Fellowship (www.efworld.org), the European Union and UNESCO.
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Abstract |
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-Biotechnology in Mercosur: Trends and Challenges |
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Mercosur is a region comprising the countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. The region has a GDP of USD 4 billion, representing 82% of total GDP in South America. It covers a territory of almost 15 million square kilometers and has more than 295 million people (nearly 70% of South America). During the last two decades active policies have been applied towards the development, promotion and uses of biotechnology for new products and services. The countries have legislative initiatives, economical incentives, human resources developments, the boost of academia-government-private sector interactions and the support for regional biotech activities. The advances in medical biotechnology application for humans and animals are notable. Many organizations are in a global competitive production of recombinant proteins, vaccines and cell and molecular therapies. These advances are now boosting the appearance of new academia-private sector opportunities. In the agricultural sector, with a continuous annual increase in area and yields, the region becomes the first in the world considering the uses of transgenic food and feed crops. Nowadays, these figures are still growing and expanding with new species and approaches regarding the bioenergy and biochemistry based driven opportunities. The convergence of life sciences and production is now in a fast evolution and new business platforms and biorefineries are a reality. The portfolio of new genes for important traits in every life sciences area is increasing and leading robust local development models with a global market vision. Challenges: The main challenge is to maintain a local positive innovation environment in a variable global economy. The underlined concept of promoting commerce and business is a key issue in order to lead the forces that promote and explore local science and business platforms. The region needs to enhance and to renew its intellectual property production. A new culture in this matter must be reorganized from the education institutions. The experiences of networking are successful but insufficient. New policies must be developed beyond local instruments. The opportunity of the development of a regional new portfolio of products is real. The region has natural resources and human talent skills to explore global competitive market niches. The strategy to enhance education and research in life sciences at any level is of a paramount importance. The societies must acquire new approaches to maintain and to create sovereignty, mainly in a new socioeconomic world context that is driven by life sciences knowledges. The opportunities in cooperation either in a North-South or in South-South models are real and there are many positive examples that are leading the way. |
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