Introduction Biotechnology will be among the emerging science and technology (S&T) fields that will have the most significant global impact in the decades to come. Experts forecast that better drugs, devices and treatments for diseases, advancements in stem cell and genetically modified organisms (GMO) technology, and exciting developments in genome sequencing for personalized medicine will materialize in the next 20 to 30 years.Developing economies are emerging as important players in these fields in part because of advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs), sustained economic growth and strong government support. Governments are increasing their investments in research and development (R&D), providing support for the next generation of life scientists, enabling institutionalized knowledge transfer from academia to industry and encouraging the expansion of the private sector’s role in all aspects of development. Moreover, scientists from developed and developing countries are increasing collaborations to tackle global problems, creating deeply-intertwined international networks to create,
share and acquire knowledge produced at the frontiers of various S&T areas.