Question reference: S5W-31819
- Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 15 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 September 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in establishing the working group to promote bioeconomy that was referred to in the National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology; how many meetings the group has held; who the members are, and whether it will publish a progress report before January 2021.
Answer
I am pleased to report that the Scottish Industrial Biotechnology Development Group (SIBDG), which includes representatives from industry, academia and government, continues to meet and deliver the National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology. The SIBDG appointed a new industry chairperson, Professor Nik Willoughby of Horizon Proteins, earlier this year.
There is an action in the National Plan to set up a bioeconomy work group under the theme of public engagement. Under the new chair, the SIBDG work groups – including the creation of additional ones - are being reviewed. In the meantime, public engagement work on bioeconomy continues to be a priority for the larger group.
The National Plan is reviewed and refreshed regularly by Scottish Enterprise. The most recent refresh was in 2019, and it will next be refreshed in 2022. Progress is reported and published directly in the refreshed plans. Updates on biotechnology and bioeconomy activity can be found in the IBioIC quarterly newsletter which is published online ( https://ibioic-publications.com/newsletter-summer-2020 ). SIBDG has met 7 times since the plan refresh last year, most recently on 3 September 2020.
SIBDG group participants are represented as follows:
Ingenza Ltd
Argent Energy Ltd
Bouygues Group
Xanthella
Cellucomp
Ineos
Kerry Cell Nutrition
The Austin Company Ltd
Celtic Renewables
3F Bio
Clearfleau
GSK
Enva Group
Horizon Proteins
Marine Biopolymers Ltd
National Collection of Industrial Food and Marine Bacteria services (NCIMB)
Scotch Whisky Research Institute
National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC) Consulting
World Council on Industrial Biotechnology
Forestry Commission
Drochaid Research Services
University of Dundee
University of Glasgow
University of Edinburgh
Heriot Watt University
Imperial College London
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC)
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Government
Scottish Development International
Skills Development Scotland
Zero Waste Scotland