Europe needs to expand its focus in biotech beyond healthcare, and apply it as a tool to fight climate change, a conference in Barcelona heard.

The UK government is boosting efforts to build an integrated industrial biotech sector, announcing £12 million for demonstrator facilities.

The precarious position of the UK’s life sciences sector is underlined by fundraising failures among 295 of its members.

The Technische Universität Dortmund is to lead the launch of Europe’s largest PhD programme in the developing field of industrial biotechnology.

With the capital markets closed, partnering is currently the only way for development–stage biotechs to stay in business.

Cash-rich pharma is dropping any pretence they are buying cash-strapped biotech for access to innovative technology. What it wants is products. Let’s hope it doesn’t suffocate the feedstock of innovation in the process.