Biotechnology Information Network

in Asia and the Pacific (BINASIA)

Sang-Ki Rhee, Ph.D.

Project Coordinator

Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology

BINASIA-Sri Lanka National Workshop

6-7 April 2005Colombo, Sri Lanka

Current Status of Biotechnology in the Asia-Pacific Region

• Development of its biotechnology capacity: from the mid 1980s

• Bioresource-rich but technology-poor in general

• Heavy involvement of the public sector: marginal participation of the private sector

• Limited funding and manpower

• Agrobiotechnology-oriented

Rationale

• Biotechnology: - not capital- and scale-intensive - at the initial stage of development - many opportunities for the South

• The South in the Asia-Pacific region: - sharing many similar problems - solutions: by sharing their experiences and forging viable partnerships

• The North vs. the South: - growing technology gap - the North’s shares: over 85% of the world’s income and over 90% of the world’s S&T knowledge

How to Forge Viable Partnerships in Biotechnology in the Region

• The international biotechnology diffusion: - creating new opportunities - assisted by the low barriers to entry

• How to build-up viable regional partnerships?

Identification of Areas for Partnerships

Capacity Building

Region-wide Partnershipe-Networking

• Biotechnology: - knowledge-based technology - no geographic borders

• e-Network - linking biocommunity via the internet - most effective way for regional interaction • International e-networks on biotechnology - AKBIN - BINASIA

e-Networking

ASEAN-Korea Biotechnology Information Network (AKBIN)

• ASEAN-Korea Workshop on the Formulation of a Biotechnology Atlas (1999):

- ASEAN/COST - MOFAT of Korea

http://asean.kribb.re.kr• Coordinators: - Biotechnology Sub-Committee of ASEAN/COST - KRIBB

• Aims: - information exchange - promotion of regional cooperation

AKBIN (cont.)

Participating Bodies

ASEAN

KOREA

BRUNEI

INDONESIA

LAO P.D.R

MALAYSIA MYANMAR

PHILIPPINES

SINGAPORE THAILAND VIETNAM

AKBIN

UNESCAP

Key Indicators

A K B I NA K B I N

AKBIN (cont.)

National S & T Policies

International

Collaboration

National Policies

on Biotech

HRDBioindustry

Bilateral Collaboration with members

Biotechnology Infrastructure

Biosafety Protocol

Biological Resources

Budget

R&D Activities

• Aims: Establishment of Biotechnology Information

Network in the Asia-Pacific Region• Thematic Focus: Regional Networking for Biotechnology Information Sharing, Technology Development and Transfer

• Time Frame: 3 Years (2003-2006)

• Target Group: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia,

Iran, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam etc.

BINASIA-Project Profile

• Coordinators: KRIBB and APCTT

• Oct. 2002: Approved at the 18th Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the 7th Session of the Governing Board (GB) meetings of APCTT (Presentation on the draft BINASIA proposal)

• Dec. 2002: Finalized the project proposal based on the recommendations of the TAC and GB meetings

• 2001: BINASIA Project proposed by MOST of Korea at the 57th General Meeting of UNESCAP

• Sept. 2002: KRIBB and APCTT exchanged MOU to jointly coordinate BINASIA Project

• June 2003: Launch of the project

Chronicle

• Mar. 2004: 1st Steering Committee held

• Apr. 2004: 1st Expert Group Meeting held

Building-up Regional Capacity and Sharing its Benefits

Building-up Regional Capacity and Sharing its Benefits

Linking of the regional biocommunity by setting up the network on the web

Providing biotechnology professionals from the region with an easy access to the network

Promotion of R&D collaboration, exchange of researchers and information sharing

Helping the growth of bioindustry by technology development and transfer

BINASIA

Goals

BINASIA- User-driven, IT-driven network

- Bioinformation DB

- Regional partnerships among academia, public research institution and bioindustry

- International networking for technology transfer

Function

Principles

Character

- Updating and upgrading of data from participating countries

- Best-practice use of technologies, standards and procedures

- Equitable sharing of

information and its benefits

Featuring Elements

• Institutions, universities, training centers

• Industry - biotechnology firms (SME, large enterprises) - financial players (venture capitals, banks etc.) - service firms (patent offices, consulting firms, law firms, CPA etc.)

• Government agencies and policy makers

• Technology transfer intermediaries/networks

• Existing information networks (AKBIN etc.)

• Participating member economies• Research personnel

Beneficiaries

Networking

Field Survey

Field Survey

Data Collection

Data Collection

Workshop,Seminar

Workshop,Seminar

Project Coordinator

Focal Points

……

R&D

Technology Transfer

Steering Committee

BINASIA

D/B

Operating Structure

• Role of contributors:

- MOST of Korea; funding

- UNESCAP; infrastructure, experience, network etc.

• Project duration: 3 years in total (June 2003 - May 2006)

• Inputs required: US$ 300,000 (US$ 100,000/year)

Inputs

• Information exchange: policy, R&D, research manpower, enterprises, markets, technologies, key issues etc.

• Successful establishment of appropriate business mechanisms

• Human resources development: a pool of trained young researchers and technicians

• Technology transfer: development of commercial partnerships between public and private sectors locally or internationally

Outputs

Thank you !