Technological convergence is driving the fifth industrial revolution, and bioeconomy innovation holds tremendous potential for growth.

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：Unsplash/Allison Saeng

Alok Medikepura Anil

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In the future, smart materials and even smarter machines will merge with human expertise to develop tailored treatment plans for patients, paving the way toward a personalized medicine era.

The impact of technology convergence on optimizing bioeconomy output is worth exploring, as it sheds light on the progress governments around the world are aiming to achieve. For instance, India’s BioE3 policy seeks to boost employment opportunities in the biotech sector, accelerate the nation’s bioeconomy development, and support the creation of bio-environmental initiatives.

Similarly, Karnataka state in India has also mapped out a roadmap for biotechnology development, outlining the strategies that will drive growth in the biotech industry—and, more broadly, in the bioeconomy.

Technological convergence in the field of bioprinting is driving lab innovations toward market adoption.‍‍‍‍

：Next Big Innovation Labs

Accelerating technology-driven bioeconomy development

The remarkable convergence of biotechnology across sectors such as red (pharmaceuticals), green (agriculture), white (industry), and blue (marine) will accelerate the technology-driven bioeconomy, aligning with the World Economic Forum’s vision of multi-stakeholder collaboration to propel technological advancements and collectively advance the bioeconomy.

Red Biotechnology:Leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery; employing machine learning techniques to identify natural plant compounds for developing new medicines; and integrating microfluidics with bioprinting technologies to create organ-on-a-chip platforms, thereby reducing reliance on animal testing. Companies such as Enveda and Next Big Innovation Labs, recognized as innovators by the World Economic Forum, are driving these solutions by advancing technology convergence within their workflows.
Green Biotechnology:Advances in synthetic biology, combined with AI-driven processes, are accelerating the development of sustainable aviation fuels—affordable options designed to help decarbonize the aviation industry. For instance, Lanzatech is leveraging artificial intelligence to optimize the conversion of industrial waste gases and biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals.
White Biotechnology:Deep learning algorithms have helped Enzymit design an industrial-scale enzyme production process that transforms vegetable oils and other fatty waste into ready-to-use biofuels—fuels that exhibit plastic-resistant degradation properties in the environment.
Blue Biotechnology:The World Economic Forum’s work in bioeconomy and bioplastic innovation focuses on producing biodegradable plastics through synthetic biology and machine learning. These advancements emphasize unlocking the full potential of the blue ocean in the bioeconomy, reducing reliance on petrochemical-based plastic products, and ultimately advancing sustainable development goals.

To drive technological integration that fosters national economic value and enhances citizen well-being, the collective efforts of all stakeholders are essential.

The "Technology Convergence Index" can illustrate the evolution of these cross-functional technology domains, much like Gartner's Technology Hype Cycle in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This will help dismantle siloed thinking, foster data sharing, and track the advancement of cross-functional technologies over time.

Long-term venture capital funding will provide technology convergence initiatives with the time needed to move from the lab to the marketplace. Cross-border collaboration and coordination among all stakeholders will help overcome obstacles—such as supply-chain bottlenecks driven by geopolitical factors, as well as critical R&D data-sharing regulations mandated by national security laws.

If governments around the world regulate and support technological convergence, we will be able to unlock the potential of sectors like the bioeconomy, leveraging biotechnology and other cutting-edge tools to usher in the next industrial era.

The above content solely represents the author's personal views.This article is translated from the World Economic Forum's Agenda blog; the Chinese version is for reference purposes only.Feel free to share this in your Moments; for reprints, please leave a comment at the end of the post or message us via our official.

Translated by: Di Chenjing | Edited by: Wang Can

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