Biotechnology and Development Monitor, No. 28, p. 18-22. A case study on Egypt.
Biotechnology receives increasing attention in special development projects of international donors.
External funding of biotechnology research could, however, adversely affect the sustainability of national research, national research priorities and relations between the different research institutes. To fully benefit from external sources, developing countries need to develop a strategy based on a thorough understanding of the relationship between the transfer of foreign technology and the development of a local technological capability. Biotechnological innovations have become more protected due to changing intellectual property rights, the interests of the private sector, and the increased technical complexity of advanced biotechnologies. External funding of biotechnology research, as part of a cooperation agreement with the donor agency, might assure access to more advanced technology which would otherwise be inaccessible to researchers in developing countries. External funding of research activities typically involves interference of the donor to some extent.