Bioengineering is ready to revolutionize the industrial world. Organizations across various sectors are preparing to harness the impact of bioengineering, which combines biology, engineering, artificial intelligence and computational techniques to create innovative biological systems. According to the report of Capgemini Research Institute, "Engineering biology: The time is now“, sustainability is a key motivator for companies, with over 70% expecting biosolutions to accelerate the achievement of their environmental goals. Other benefits include improvements in cost and performance. There is also no shortage of challenges such as market awareness, high costs and shortage of qualified professionals.
Bioengineering will bring radical changes
The use of 'artificial intelligence and engineering principles to develop new biological systems is leading to significant innovations across all sectors. According to the report, almost all managers (99%) predict that bioengineering will cause radical changes in the next five to ten years. Advances in DNA synthesis, editing, and sequencing have increased the speed and precision of biological engineering while reducing costs. Furthermore, rapid developments in artificial intelligence have improved the understanding and prediction of protein and metabolic structures.
Biosolutions: more than half of companies are already experimenting with them
La most organizations (96%) are already studying the biosolutions: 40% is in the exploratory phase, while the 56% are actively involved in trials, pilot projects or small-scale implementations. The investments in bioengineering are growing, with 68% of executives planning to increase investment over the next two to five years, indicating positive market sentiment regarding the industry's scientific and commercial potential.
More than half of organizations believe that innovative approaches are essential to achieving net zero. There sustainability is a key driver of interest for bioengineering, but it is crucial that biosolutions are effective and well implemented to achieve real results. Executives envision these solutions may have positive effects on climate change and on pollution, but it is fundamental evaluate their environmental impacts and social issues throughout the product lifecycle and support adoption with robust analytics on performance and cost efficiency. Biosolutions are seen as tools to reduce pollution and emissions, improve product safety and performance, and mitigate risks in the supply chain.
Bioengineering: the critical issues
To realize the potential of biosolutions, addressing is critical various critical issues. Key challenges include high costs, lack of adequate infrastructure and talent shortages, with 65% of bioengineering startups citing lack of biological expertise as a significant limitation. Furthermore, the reconfiguration of supply chains and evolving regulations represent additional obstacles.
Digital and engineering technologies are crucial to contain costs and optimize bioprocesses. AI emerges as the most transformative technology, with 98% of organizations using it or planning to use it to accelerate the adoption of biosolutions. Robotics and digital twins are promising tools for reducing costs and accelerating scale-up, but they are less popular than AI.
The report suggests that organizations should develop documented strategies, raise public awareness, consider impacts on sustainability and integrate circularity aspects. It is also essential to operate within a clear and progressive regulatory framework for the bioeconomy.
We need new laboratories equipped with AI
new biotechnology laboratories driven by artificial intelligence were created to respond to growing demand and accelerate innovation in the sector. These laboratories combine advanced scientific and technological expertise to optimize costs and reduce development times.
In 2023, Capgemini has started a laboratory of advanced AI-driven biotechnology at its UK headquarters of Cambridge Consultants. This laboratory combines scientific, AI and engineering expertise to reduce costs and accelerate time to market, thus responding to customer challenges and promoting innovation in the bioeconomy.
“The bioeconomy is found in one crucial stage that promises unlimited opportunities for organizations, and business leaders are increasingly aware of this. Biosolutions are already enabling truly revolutionary innovations, with a direct impact on numerous aspects of our daily lives. For example, the development of organisms that capture CO2 and microbes that purify water, the creation of biofuels from waste or new generation medicines that act on specific DNA profiles. However, more investment is needed to capitalize on this momentum and achieve market profitability. With generative AI accelerating the speed and accuracy of the design process, while reducing costs, bioengineering is poised to completely redesign and transform businesses in the coming years,” he commented Umberto Larizza, Managing Director of Capgemini Invent in Italy.
