Public-Private Partnerships Can Propel U.S. Biotech Leadership

Washington, April 22, 2024 — Today, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a new Biotech Matters commentary, Public-Private Coordination of Biotechnology: Three Revolutions, Three Problems, Three Prescriptions, by CNAS Biotech Task Force Member and Adjunct Senior Fellow Dr. Richard Danzig.

The private sector drives U.S. innovation—not least in biotechnology. Reflecting on lessons learned from U.S. COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment, Dr. Danzig’s new commentary calls for an American industrial policy that better leverages public-private partnerships to drive U.S. biotech leadership forward in times of crisis.

The author argues that there are three key obstacles that hamper effective public-private cooperation in biotech. These include the lack of nuanced coordination efforts tailored to diverse entities with distinct goals and infrastructures; the age-old limitations of governmental strategic planning processes and the tendency for priorities to shift over time; and the inherent disparities between the public and private sectors, compounded by regulatory barriers and general mistrust.

Considering these challenges, the author concludes with a call for increased investment in human capital and infrastructure in order to foster creativity, encourage regulations that better address emerging risks, and facilitate greater knowledge-sharing between sectors with biotech equities—including agriculture, health, and manufacturing.

The piece is the latest article in Biotech Matters, a new six-part commentary series on emerging issues in biotechnology and national security, published by the CNAS Technology and National Security program. Read the prior Biotech Matters commentaries here.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Danzig, please contact Alexa Whaley at [email protected].