From: sl2k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Schitt Laowattana)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Part[1]:Future Biotechnology-Based Industries
Date: 3 Oct 92 09:42:07 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.oenRhjW00iUzE250d=
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


    Part[1]: Introduction
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    In the industrially developed countries, the biotechnology
industrial sector is evolving from technology segmentation toward market
segmentation.  The forefront technologies will continue to be employed
in conjunction with traditional technologies in most segments and the
ability to integrate forefront and traditional technical capabilities
qill become increasingly important. It has been predicted that within
the next 20 years, bictechnologies will contibute significantly to
nearly every growth industry. The commercialization of biotechnologies
such as genetic engineering, and biospecific seoarations has already
begun and will accelerate. Full commercialization of biotechnology based
products such as synthetic peptides engineered molecules and biosensors
will require up to 20 years, although a small fraction are already in
the market. It has been further predicted that within five years, the
affected market segments will be agriculture, environmental quality
monitoring and control, specialty chemicals and waste treatments. In the
next ten to fifteen years, biotechnology will contribute to the
commercialization of products in commodity markets such as mining,
chemicals, electronics and pulp and paper. The current efforts are
focused on laboratory research, biomedical equipnemt, animal vaccines,
pharmaceutical products and bioprocessing equipment.
    
    For Thailand, the low level of research and development activity in
industry means that development of the biotechnology industrial sector
by technological segmentation is highly unlikely. Although the National
Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and the STDB have been
established with the specific aims to enhance R&D activities of Thailand
in the field of biotechnology, the amount of money and the total effort
expended are still very low in comparison to that in developed
countries. Thus, there is a very low probability that technology
developed in research laboratories will drive the Thai biotechnology
industries as is happening in the west. Moreover, none of the producing
firms are engaged in R&D with the aim of becoming a technological leader
or for advancing the technology they utilize. Thus, for the next ten
years, it is logical to conclude that most, if not all, industries that
develop will still rely on the input of foreign technology. In other
words, it is unlikely that the Thai scientific and technological society
(including that in the producing firms) will be mature enough to
significantly contribute to the development of new technology, within
the next ten years.

Posted by

Schitt(DJ)  Laowattana

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e-mail: sl2k@andrew.cmu.edu


Permanent Address in Thailand:

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King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Thonburi
91 Suksawasd 48  Ratburana  Bangmod
Bangkok 10140, Thailand

Tel. No. 428-3374, 427-4421 and 4270151-9 Ext. 461
Fax. No. 427-8077, 427-8787

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