Author Archives: Mariana Aris

Argentina’s Annual Ag Expo

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logoDuring March 22-25 the main farming event in Argentina, Expoagro 2014, took place in Santa Fe state, and recent advances in agriculture and farming were highlighted. Farming is the main economic activity of Argentina, and biotechnology has played a central role in farm development and transitioning to a more precise form of agriculture. Local policies have allowed the use of genetically modified organisms, and that led to a green revolution in the 1990s, with incremental increases in productivity, as well as the development of fertilizers, biofuels, bioplastics and other by-products, all of which have significantly increased economic output levels per cultivated area.

Both national and multinational companies were present at ExpoAgro 2014. The star of the event was RR2Bt transgenic soy, called the super soy, a GM crop tolerant to glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium herbicides and resistant to lepidopteran insects. Ninety percent of the total seeded soy in Argentina makes use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, and super soy was first used in northern Argentina, where there were more difficulties in controlling undergrowth and plagues.

Now it is used in the Pampa, an area characterized by its rich soil. The super soy would lower the cost of production and increase the crop’s performance and profitability. NIDERA, a multinational corporation that has recently fused to the Chinese COFCO, has established a seed division in Argentina that presented at the meeting an improved RR2Bt transgenic soy, as well as corn and wheat. The local company Don Mario also presented new soy seeds, including RR2Bt. Other interesting biotech approaches showcased at the event included using tricoderma fungi  as a pesticide for controlling plague in seeds. This proposal came from a private-public interaction between Rizobacter and the National Agricultural Technology Institute, INTA. In fact, seed fertilizing was offered as a service by several companies at the event, including the use of microbial fertilizers.

Expoagro 2014 is a meeting point for farmers, producers, investors, foreign visitors, and even politicians. The possibility of using genetic-engineering techniques in agriculture and farming in Argentina has proved its potential – that much was clear from Expoagro.

Mariana Aris

National Financing tools for Entrepreneurship in Argentina, che!

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???????????????????????????????Argentina created the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation in December 2007, with the principal goal of generating greater social inclusion and improving the competitiveness of the Argentinian economy. The current government has developed a specific National Plan of Science, Technology and Innovation for 2020. This one aims at boosting inclusive and sustainable innovation, by fully using Argentinian scientific and technological capabilities, thereby hopefully increasing economic competitiveness and improving quality of life. The strategic areas for this broad plan include biotechnology, nanotechnology, and information & communication technologies. As regards to biotechnology, a special focus is on development of agrobiotechnology, due to its relevance in economic policy (this was mentioned in my last post). Other sub-areas include health, energy and social development.

There are different national financing tools in Argentina to promote entrepreneurship in biotechnology. EMPRETECNO is a tool for developing technology-based companies and it provide non-reimbursable contributions up to $370,000 (ARS 2,500,000) per project. It can be used to finance prototype construction, for commercial expansion and for technology development. Some of the beneficiaries include BIOPRO, which is developing biological pesticides; Vetanco, a platform for IgY production; and MIPAMA, a cell culture facility for human and veterinary applications. Also benefiting from EMPRETECNO is Keclon, which aims to produce recombinant enzymes for biofuel development, and Immunogenesis, which is developing an immunoassay to diagnose specific causes of women infertility. There is also Xbio, working on a recombinant HPV vaccine.

Another tool for entrepreneurs is the Programme for the Promotion of Entrepreneur Investment in Technology (PROFIET), which can be used on projects that improve competitiveness of the production sector. Beneficiaries may be venture capitalists, other investors or entrepreneurs. In a complementary way, there are specific financing tools for research, development and innovation (R&D&i), including non-reimbursable contributions for the process of patenting, developing R&D&i areas in companies, developing technology platforms and for sustainable development. There is also funding for regional technological innovation, to promote R&D&i in specific geographic areas, and for international cooperation.

All these national financing tools are devoted to promote technology-based companies and the investment of venture capital for the social development of the Argentinian people. But there is a final goal to generate sustained growth through the diversification of exports and an increase in the added value of production, strengthening the local economy.  Both of these absolutely include the biotech industry.

In my next blog, I’ll focus on foreign investment for biotech.

Mariana Aris

Latin America’s Biotech Meeting

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RedbioThe 8th REDBIO meeting took place a few days ago in Mar del Plata, a seaside city in Argentina. Under the slogan “Biotechnology and Society, conversation for a sustainable development,” the event pooled specialists from biotechnology areas to promote synergy between academics, government, industry and society. Argentina, still known as “the bread basket of the world,” is indeed a leader in transferring agricultural technologies abroad (see the recent Monthly Map).

Apart from the consolidated plant and animal topics, the conference covered developments in areas like environment. Great progress has been made in human health, too, as both biopharma therapeutic and diagnostic molecules have been produced, with vaccines and antibodies for cancer immunotherapy making it to clinical trials. In regenerative medicine, mesenchymal and induced pluripotent stem cell therapy are being developed. Regulatory and safety concerns were discussed for all areas.

There was an entire day devoted to bioentrepreneurship, with Latin American and invited guests sharing startup experiences and their interaction with partners. Speakers discussed the challenges of working in biofuels, aquaculture for fish pharming, and novel biopharma technologies. Most entrepreneurs came over from academia, looking to broaden out from research and follow a RIPCO business model. They remarked that biotechnology business can co-exist with academia, given the correct publishing and patenting policies. One of the topics was attracting venture capitals investment, and how to position the company globally once there is an interesting development.

In Argentina, most academia institutions have their own technology transfer departments. Startups usually get their first funding from the government and through contract services, while they keep developing their biotechnology products. For example, Immunova is a microbiology vaccine-platform developed from Instituto Leloir. INCU-INTA is the platform from INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) investigating veterinary vaccines and IgY chicken antibodies production. InSud Group is an international holding created in Argentina, with public and private funding, focused on life sciences, agroforestry and culture, including the production of monoclonal antibodies. There is also Bioceres, an investment group focused on agrobiotechnology, with strategic partners both from academia and industry.

What came across at the conference is that entrepreneurs share a passion for innovation, a resilient temperment, and a common goal of putting their development into the global market.

Mariana Aris