Open Source Biotechnology as an Innovation Platform for South-South Co-operation

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1 Open Source Biotechnology as an Innovation Platform for South-South Co-operation Govindan Parayil Vice Rector, UNU & Director, UNU-IAS Sixth Asian Biotechnology and Development Conference 6-7 October 2012, Hyderabad, India 1

2 The Plan 2009 ABDC: I spoke about Biotechnology and Development through the lens of South-South Cooperation Science, technology and innovation Strategies for scientific excellence in developing and emerging nations New Asian innovation dynamics Knowledge and brain circulation 2012 ABDC: focus on open source biotechnology as a platform for greater South-South Cooperation 2

3 Open Source Science & Technology Science has always been a global commons knowledge knows no boundaries Sources of some of the earliest biotechnologies and food crops were from the global South Mathematical innovations like the decimal system & trigonometry (India), algebra (Persia), helio-centrism (India, Arabia) reached Europe via the Arabs. The printing, dynamics, chemical technology and so on from Chinese spread to Europe and elsewhere. We can see the early imprints of Chinese, Indian, Arabian, and Persian contributions to S&T to the European Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. 3

4 Circulation of human knowledge No matter where it was first developed, in which society, culture, region or country, S&T are part of world heritage of human knowledge. Intellectual borrowing is a civilizational & cultural attribute. We can see the chain of intellectual relations that link S&T development through the ages that connect nations and societies in the world. But, alas, that world now is dichotomized into a developed world behind a fortress of protection and the rest! 4

5 South-South Co-operation Countries in the South have developed significant capacity and capability in S&T including biotechnology Not to de-link from the globalized R&D system, but develop strategic links to it China developed biotechnology independently while being outside the CGIAR UNESCO Science Report 2010: The Current Status of Science Around the World shows a global shift in scientific power to the South Biotechnology development for food, health and energy security -- Southern nations must forge strong South- South Innovation System to realize this crucial goal. 5

6 Southern System of Innovation Assessment of Southern capabilities in S&T (biotechnology) Prioritize Southern needs and concerns Lessons from the recent globalization of R&D Invest in capacity development in biotechnology to cater to the needs of Southern markets Learn from relevant experiences of leading Southern players (China, India, Brazil, South Africa, etc.) Forge a Southern System of Innovation by focusing on capabilities related to generation and exploitation of knowledge & good governance 6

7 Open Source Science & Technology The idea of open source is a centuries old tradition Seeds, germplasm and agricultural knowledge had been free resources to share and benefit Colonialism, imperialism and the rise of capitalist global system Rise of free enterprise capitalism, market economy and innovation as its engine Innovation from being a free good and an open system became a closed and profit-driven system Commodification of knowledge, bits, codes, genes (the means of production) 7

8 Genetic and Information Revolution Mendel s theory of the inheritance of traits Discovery of DNA as the physical carrier of genetic information Discovery of the structure of DNA molecule Recombinant DNA technique (Genetic Engineering) Patenting life & everything under the sun University-Industry interaction Privitization (enclosure) of biological sciences - IPR TRIPS Globalization and the genetic-information revolution 8

9 Open Source Innovation Open source movement in the IT sector came out as a backlash against the rise of information capitalism Privatization of computer science and the code Proprietary software, digital divide, loss of autonomy of the researcher and other issues FLOSS, FOSS,.. Collaboration, sharing, transparency, openness, freedom, empowerment Based on the norms of science Profit from products, not from codes, seeds, genes Open innovation versus Open source innovation 9

10 Open Innovation

11 Open Source Innovation

12 Case for a New Innovation System Innovation system for the industrial age outdated for the information age Globalization and its discontents enclosure of scientific commons, privatization of knowledge State s role in biotechnology R&D on a steady decline Collapse of global agricultural innovation system Globalization of R&D and the rise of MNCs in the biotechnology industry Future of biotechnology as open source in a postgenomic world? Open source biotechnology as an important innovation platform for South-South Co-operation. 12

13 Open Source Biotechnology General Public License for Plant Germplasm CAMBIA Center for Application of Molecular Biology in International Agriculture (Biological Innovation for Open Society BIOS Initiative), Australia PIPRA Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture Open Source Drug Discovery OSSD (CSIR, India) International HapMap Data Access Agreement Network for Open Scientific Innovation Biolinux licensing and material transfer agreement (Dr Ravi Srinivas) 13

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15 Policy Implication for OS Biotechnology Facilitate strong community & civil society participation in innovation (quadruple helix of innovation) Provision of adequate training & resources (capabilities, absorptive capacity) Facilitate collaboration and form epistemic communities Effective policy and legislation; IPR reform patents for products not processes Four freedoms: access; availability; improve; and, redistribute Profit from products, not from codes and genes South-South standardization & market expansion Exploit existing multilateral cooperation agreements. 15

16 Thank you!