América Latina

CamBioTec

Biotechnology for Change

CamBioTec is an international network with the mission to facilitate biotechnology-based applications in the agri-food and environmental management fields of Latin America, by promoting a favorable environment for the development of the industry, and by increasing public awareness on the associated benefits and eventual risks. Underpinning CamBioTec is the belief that biotechnology can contribute significantly to more sustainable agricultural practices and to better management of the environment.

CamBioTec
Was launched in January 1995 by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), a Canadian public corporation that supports research and development throughout the developing world. IDRC is recognized internationally as a leader in research management, information sharing, network building and partnership brokering among public agencies, corporations and research institutions. In September 1998, CamBioTec entered into its second phase, with the goal to become an independent, flexible and efficient network able to generate income from diverse sources, by the end of year 2000.

CamBioTec
Is a flexible network built around a series of "focal point" institutions in participating countries. Our partners include:

• Argentina's Foro Argentino de Biotecnología (FAB)
• Canada: currently void after BIOTECanada (formerly the Canadian Institute of Biotechnology-CIB) decided to withdraw from the network in November 1999
• Chile's Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT)
• Colombia's Fundación Andina de Desarrollo Tecnológico (TECNOS)
• Mexico's Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (II -UNAM)

CamBioTec
Has also developed working relationships with key biotechnology institutions in Brazil and Cuba:

• Cenargen-Embrapa, Brasilia-Brazil
• ABRABI, Río de Janeiro-Brazil
• CIGB, Havana-Cuba

As well as with existing international biotechnology networks and programs in Latin America, Asia and Africa such as:

• RedBio-FAO
• IICA-Canada
• Revydet-CYTED , Spain
• IBS-ISNAR, The Hague
• ILSI, Washington DC

In its second phase, CamBioTec will:

• Promote the development of public policies in biotechnology and their instruments
• Promote the development of public awareness on biotechnology
• Develop research and training activities on key aspects for the development and dissemination of biotechnology
• Foster partnerships between Canadians and Latin American firms and institutions

CAMBIOTEC is an initiative of IDRC:
C/o International Development Research Center,
PO Box 8500, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1G 3H9
Tel: (613) 236-6163; Fax: (613) 238-7230
E-mail: cambiotec@idrc.ca
Web site: http://www.idrc.ca/

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CamBioTec: Recent Activities

• "Partnering meetings in biotechnology" at REDBIO'98, Havana, Cuba, June 1998.
• "Canadian business and expert mission to REDBIO'98", Cuba, June 1998
• "Latin American business mission to ABIC'98", Saskatoon, June 1998
• Series of Workshops "Environmental biotechnology and cleaner production", Santiago and Buenos Aires, October 1998
• "Canadian expert mission to BIOLATINA'98", Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 1998.
• Seminar "National considerations for biosafety regulation in Mexico", June 1999.
• Spin-off project "Biosafety & public awareness development in the Southern Cone", sponsored by CIDA, and started in June 1998.
• Spin-off project "Best innovation practices in natural products", sponsored by IDRC, May-December 1998.
• On-going fostering of partnerships and alliances for Canadian and Latin American firms: 15 since June 1998, over 50 since 1995.

CamBioTec: Up-Coming Activities

• Series of Seminars "Risk assessment of plant biotechnology products", Buenos Aires and Santiago, August 25-26, 1999.
• Series of Seminars "Public awareness on agri-food biotechnology products", Santiago and Buenos Aires, August 31-September 2, 1999.
• "National Meeting of RedBio-Argentina", Buenos Aires, November 9-12, 1999.

CamBioTec: Publications

• "Assessing the impacts of agricultural biotechnologies: Canadian-Latin American perspectives", workshop proceedings (English), Ottawa, May 1995.
• "Biotechnology Country Overview Series: 1. México, 2. Argentina, 3. Colombia", (English), Ottawa, 1995-96.
• "Methodology for setting national priorities in biotechnology", Workshop Proceedings (English & Spanish), Mexico D.F., November 1995.
• "Market surveys on national priority areas for agricultural & environmental biotechnology in Mexico", (English), Ottawa, June 1996.
• "Perspectivas de la biotecnología en los sectores agrícola, pecuario y agro-industrial", Special Biotechnology Report #1 (Spanish), México D.F., July 1996.
• "Cuadernos de Vigilancia Tecnológica" (state-of-art reports in Spanish), México D.F., 1996-97:
  • No.1 Biopesticidas (Biopesticides)
  • No.2 Tratamiento de aguas residuales (Wastewater treatment)
  • No.3 Hortalizas (Horticulturals)
  • No.4 Papa y Chile (Potato and Hot Pepper)
• "Seminario de planeación, prioridades y política en Biotecnología Agrícola", seminar proceedings (mostly in Spanish), Lima, October 1996.
• "Experiencia de Canadá en la promoción de la biotecnología: la National Biotechnology Strategy y casos provinciales", paper (Spanish), Ottawa, October 1996.
• "Oportunidades de negocio para la producción de Bacillus thuringiensis", feasibility study (Spanish), México D.F., October 1996.
• "Prioridades biotecnológicas para los sectores agrícola, pecuario y agro-industrial", conclusions of Chihuahua's regional priority-setting workshop (Spanish), Chihuahua-México, October 1996.
• "Prioridades de investigación y desarrollo en biotecnología para los sectores agropecuario y agro-alimentario", conclusions of the Argentinean priority-setting excercise (Spanish), Buenos Aires, April 1997.
• "Aplicaciones y prioridades para el desarrollo de la biotecnología en Colombia", conclusions of the Colombian priority setting excercise (Spanish), Bogotá, August 1997.
• "Seminario bioseguridad en biotecnología agropecuaria: aportes canadienses", seminar papers (Spanish), Buenos Aires, June 1997.
• "Biotecnología en Chile: oportunidades de innovación tecnológica", seminar proceedings (Spanish), Santiago, August 1997.
• "Biotecnología en México: Directorio Empresarial 1996", a biodirectory (Spanish), México DF, 1996.
• "Biotecnología en Chile 1997: Directorio de Empresas", a biodirectory (Spanish), Santiago, 1997.

Copies of these publications can be obtained from CamBioTec Coordinators:

In Argentina: Dr. Juan Dellacha
In Canada: Dr. Javier Verástegui
In Chile: Dr. Lionel Gil
In Colombia: Dr. Marta E. Rueda
In México: Rosario Castañón, MSc. 
General Coordinator: Dr. Jose Luis Solleiro

Focal Point Institutions

1. ARGENTINA

Foro Argentino de Biotecnología (FAB): Created in 1986, the Foro Argentino de Biotecnología is a private, non-for-profit organization with the mission to disseminate biotechnology in Argentina, to promote policies and public awareness, to develop joint strategies with the industry, government and research community, and to establish network linkages between Argentinean and international firms. Main activities: development of a data base on biotech firms, edition of a biotech bulletin, organization of working breakfasts with research officers and authorities, and organization of conferences, workshops and courses. FAB has a continuous interest on Regional Biotechnology, and is currently an active participant in FELAEB (the Latin American Federation of Biotech Firms), REVYDET (Spain-Portugal-Latin America biotech network) and CABBIO (Argentina-Brazil Biotechnology Center). More than 35 organizations are currently affiliated to FAB, including private firms and associations, university centers, and public research centers like INTA (agriculture) and SECYT (donor and policy maker), among others. FAB is the Focal Point of CamBioTec in Argentina.

Contact:

2. CANADA

From 1995 to 1998, the focal point institution was the Canadian Institute of Biotechnology (CIB), a non-for-profit institution representing the Canadian biotechnology community (research centers, industry associations and NGOs). In 1998 the CIB merged with the Industrial Biotechnology Association of Canada to form BIOTECanada, a new association representing individual biotechnology industry and service firms, as well as regional associations and networks in Canada. In November 1999, BIOTECanada decided to withdraw from the CamBioTec network as a result of different perspectives of CamBioTec's goals. Temporarily there is no focal point institution in Canada hosting the activities of CamBioTec, although the activities are being developed by its Coordinator, Dr. Javier Verastegui, through a consultancy contract with IDRC.

These activities include: (a) fostering Canadian cooperation to technology transfer and training activities in Latin American countries; (b) developing, negotiating and conducting CamBioTec projects on subjects of interest to Latin America, in close coordination with the other Coordinators; and (c) the promotion of partnerships and strategic alliances between Canadian biotechnology firms and their international counterparts. Canadian institutions and firms interested in exploring potential partnerships in Latin America can benefit from CamBioTec-Canada activities:

CamBioTec-Canada can assist Canadian and Latin American organizations to identify potential partners, to obtain appropriate information, or to negotiate agreements, if required. Promising partnership opportunities exist for firms involved in the agri-food and environmental management sectors. Areas of particular interest include: genetic improvement research, biofertilizers, disease diagnostics, biocontrols and biopesticides, soils and water remediation and clean process technologies such as pulping, mineral leaching and bleaching.

Contact:

3. CHILE

Comité Nacional de Biotecnología, CONICYT: The National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research-CONICYT is a government agency created in 1963 to assist and advise the President of Chile on policies regarding the scientific and technological development of the nation. CONICYT's main objectives are: to finance science and technology research programs and projects, to support the development of human resources, and to facilitate communication between Chilean and foreign scientists. CONICYT's National Biotechnology Committee was created in 1983 to promote the sustainable development of biotechnology research and commercial innovation through projects, training, information, and international collaboration. The Committee is the Focal Point of CamBioTec in Chile. It has already developed strong links with the key research and industry actors on agri-food biotechnology in Chile, and has designed a distinguished board member as the CamBioTec Coordinator in Chile.

Contact:

4. COLOMBIA

Fundación Andina para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y Social (TECNOS): A private, non-for-profit organization created in 1981, TECNOS' general mission is to promote technology development in Colombia and the Andean countries. Its activities include: technology forecasting, development of technology strategies for firms, promotion of technology innovation, technology management, and training. TECNOS has been active in many areas of biotechnology in Colombia, e.g. forecast studies in the agrifood sector, impacts of plant variety protection systems, biosafety, intellectual property in the agri-biotechnology sector, strategies for agribiotech firms in Latin America, and promotion of the Industrial Biotechnology Development Corporation. TECNOS is a key player in the area of biotechnology transfer and innovation in Colombia, and it has the coordination of the CamBioTec Focal Point in Colombia

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5. MEXICO

Instituto de Ingeniería (II-UNAM): The Institute of Engineering of the National Autonomous University of Mexico is the most productive research center in engineering of Mexico. It is a community of approximately 900 people, including researchers, graduate and undergraduate students, technicians, secretarial and services staff. II-UNAM occupies 12 buildings in the University Campus, in Coyoacán, with an extension of 63.000 square meters between laboratories, offices, common areas and an auditorium. The Unit of Technology Innovation Studies (UEIT) at II-UNAM has acquired considerable experience in brokering technology transfer, cooperative research and technology management, mainly in the area of biotechnology.

UNAM's capacities in biotechnology are very important as it holds various research institutes: the Institute of Biotechnology/Cuernavaca (the most advanced basic research in México); the Biology, Nitrogen Fixation and Biomedical Research Institutes; and the Schools of Chemistry, Veterinary Medicine and Engineering. UEIT researchers at II-UNAM have also developed a nation-wide study (sponsored by IDRC/Canada) on setting priorities in biotechnology, which has allowed to highlight some of the bottlenecks, which must be overcome to access, and implement the new techniques derived from biotechnology. Furthermore, UEIT-II-UNAM has established smooth collaboration channels with the industrial and financial communities of biotechnology in Mexico (ASEMBI and NAFIN respectively). Working together with IDRC officers, Dr. Jose Luis Solleiro of UEIT-II-UNAM (formerly at the Center for Technology Innovation CIT-UNAM), has been responsible for the design of the general concept and methodology of the CamBioTec Initiative. II-UNAM is the general coordinating institution of all CamBioTec activities in Latin America and Canada, as well as the Focal Point institution in Mexico.

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