Industrial College of the Armed Forces: Industry Studies 2000: Bio Technology   [open pdf - 269KB]

The rapidly emerging biotechnology industry is a critical element of national power. Advances in biotechnology are resulting in novel biomedical and pharmaceutical products and processes that are relieving human suffering, improving health, and increasing the quality of life for the world's citizens. Biotechnology is transforming agriculture, improving the productivity, quality, safety, affordability, and environmental compatibility of food and fiber production around the world. The application of biotechnology to fields as diverse as bioremediation, forensics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology is similarly providing widespread benefits to humans and exciting new economic opportunities for entrepreneurs. As the preeminent global leader in this new industry, the United States is well positioned to maintain its competitive advantage in the future. Even so, there remain many challenges to this dominance, including a variety of ethical concerns and a growing public unease about genetically altered food.