Chemistry of the Future: Russia launches breakthrough national bioeconomy project
The launch of the national bioeconomics project in Russia promises to shake up the country's scientific and production sector, designed to reduce import dependence and expand innovative technologies in biology and chemistry. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation is preparing for approval by Vladimir Putin a large-scale program that will cover dozens of production chains and promises to become a driver of new technological sovereignty. However, the challenges along the way — staffing shortages, sanctions, and institutions — require a systematic approach and coordinated efforts. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Technological breakthrough and production priorities
A new national project dedicated to technological leadership in the field of bioeconomics has been worked out in detail in the Ministry of Industry and Trade: 23 production chains combining 760 positions, of which 131 priority products have been identified, will become the core of the program.
The national technological leadership project "Technological Support for Bioeconomics" meets Russia's national goals and is aimed at achieving technological sovereignty by 2030, reducing import dependence, and technological leadership by 2036 through the creation of infrastructure and scientific and technological development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said.
"All bioeconomy products were distributed across 36 food chains," the ministry told Izvestia. — They form four enlarged groups: these are microorganisms, products of their vital activity, products of processing of plant and animal raw materials and means of production.
In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade conducts systematic work with the market and collects all available initiatives for the development of bioeconomics.
— We have already received more than 270 initiatives, 106 projects have already passed the initial evaluation. According to the evaluation results, 34 projects are in a high degree of readiness, while 72 are still in the early stages of development, the government said.
According to Izvestia's interlocutors, work is underway in key areas: amino acids of microbial synthesis, microbial polysaccharides, organic acids of microbial synthesis and protein of microbial synthesis.
"The main task is to effectively capitalize on the vast resource of the country's biological potentials and bring Russia to the leaders of the global biotechnology market, reducing dependence on critically important imported components and increasing exports of highly processed products," says Anton Kostinov, Director of Research and Analytics at the TP BioTech2030 Association.
Who will win
The national project covers an interdisciplinary ecosystem: biomedicine, agro-industrial complex, industrial chemistry, environmental technologies, energy and food industry.
— The government provides support to those companies that set the pace of technological development at the international level. Currently, Biocad, Microgen, Binnopharm and Generium are among the leaders of the biomedicine market," says Daria Zagrebina, Director of the Marillion Group's Legal Department.
The volume of state financing for the project, according to Vladimir Poklad from Business Profile, will exceed 20 billion rubles by 2030, with priority given to grants for research and development (R&D), the development of scientific and technical centers and support for the export of biological products.
"The 2026-2028 budget provides for 5 billion rubles of direct financing, while development institutions and foundations will take the lion's share of industrial support," the expert explains.
A breakthrough amid difficulties
Despite its potential, the bioeconomy in Russia faces serious barriers. According to the President of the Association of Deep Grain Processing Enterprises (Soyuzkrahmal) Oleg Radin, technological dependence on imports reaches 80%, legislation in the bioindustry is still outdated and heterogeneous, and financial risks and a long payback cycle scare off investors.
"Staffing shortages are critical, especially in bioenergy and biopharmaceuticals, and infrastructure and equipment are often foreign and limited by sanctions," he says.
However, the project includes measures to overcome these obstacles, including subsidies for investments and reducing the financial burden.
It is necessary to remove all restrictions on fundamental and applied research, as well as improve communication and coordination between departments, State Duma Deputy Stanislav Naumov emphasizes.
A new frontier in technology and human resources
Special attention is paid to the development of human resources and learning infrastructure, including interdisciplinary training programs for future bioinformatics and bioengineering specialists.
The federal project as part of the national project is aimed at methodological and personnel support, although all training takes place mainly in universities where new educational trajectories are gaining momentum, says Alexandra Avdonina, senior researcher at the IPEI Presidential Academy.
An important element is also institutional development — the development of national standards and a regulatory framework for regulating genetic engineering activities.
"The creation of a modern institutional environment will reduce regulatory barriers, legalize biotechnological innovations, and accelerate commercialization," emphasizes Anton Kostinov.
Global trends and international partnership
The Russian national project is being formed against the background of global trends towards renewable bioresources and environmentally sustainable technologies. The country intends to make itself known on the world market and is actively developing cooperation with friendly partners: China, India, the UAE and the EAEU countries.
"International projects such as the RDIF investment platform with India's Yadu, as well as the Green Chemistry for Life program with the participation of PhosAgro and UNESCO, demonstrate readiness for global cooperation,— explains Vladimir Poklad.
According to Alexey Torgov, Deputy General Director of Biocad, bioeconomics is becoming critically important for technological sovereignty and sustainable development, and government support stimulates the development of high-tech technologies and personnel training.
Industry expansion and growth prospects
Currently, the Russian bioeconomy market is estimated at 440 billion rubles, but with the implementation of the national project, it should grow to 700 billion by 2030 and exceed a trillion by 2036, experts say.
— The goal is to increase the share of domestic products in the market to 50% and ensure technological independence in at least 40% of key positions, — says the expert of the Popular Front. Analytics" by Alexander Starchenko.
It is also expected to create more than 15,000 jobs and launch over 130 new production facilities. The effectiveness of the national project implementation will be measured by clear KPIs: export growth, market share, number of new enterprises and attracted investments.
— Bioeconomics should cease to be a niche and turn into one of the notable segments of industry, — emphasized in the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The new national project is currently being discussed as a logical and ambitious step towards the country's technological independence in the biotechnology industry. Its successful implementation may mean the emergence in Russia of a powerful and competitive sector capable of influencing global biological markets and solving internal strategic tasks.
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