Biotechnology In Bangladesh Case Study

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According to Reid and Ramani, biotechnology is “a set of generic technologies that involve manipulation or change of genetic patrimony of living organisms for industrial application” (Reid and Ramani). The origin of biotechnology can be traced back to the 1970’s in the United States. When it comes to advancement of biotechnology in developing countries, India is one of the leaders in research since India is highly receptive to new technologies. Neighboring countries in the region, like Bangladesh, depend on India for technological breakthroughs and innovations such as agriculture and medicine. There is a high rate of malnutrition in Bangladesh, since the country has issues with crop production due to the low quality of soil. According to …show more content…

In order for India to improve these conditions, the country has to rely on observing and implementing technologies developed in first world countries such as the US and UK. This would allow India to share the systems and processes with Bangladesh to help that country improve. However, the implementation of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement (TRIPS) by the World Trade Organization (WTO) caused complications in agricultural and pharmaceutical advancement in India, thereby affecting Bangladesh as well.
India’s method of research and development in biotechnology heavily relies on effective absorption. This is basically learning different processes from more developed countries. The reason for this is that biotechnology is relatively new in India and the country lacks the infrastructure for inclusive development of biotechnology. This includes the lack of a regulatory agency, issues in financing, and the social competence of India’s workforce (Reid and Ramani). In order for developing countries like India to enter the biotech industry, the understanding of products and processes …show more content…

Knowledge is a critical component that leads to innovation in science and technology. As stated before, knowledge gathered through the effective absorption method was made complex from the TRIPS agreement. A possible solution that was consistent in both the Reid and Ramani and Mallick articles was that India should build a network consisting of academic institutions, government, and private technology firms. Mallick states that “a network, as a locus of innovation, provides timely access to knowledge and resources that are otherwise unavailable and adds to existing internal expertise and learning capabilities” (Mallick). It is implied that India should collaborate with other countries that have strength in knowledge in regards to biotechnology for the purpose of sharing information. One of the liberal economic concepts that encompass the use of a network for economic growth is called the catch-up theory. A product of this theory is the National System of Innovation (NSI), a practical framework for developing countries to implement in their government policy in regards to emerging fields such as biotechnology. NSI is fairly new since there is a need for more empirical data to gauge its effectiveness in knowledge production. It is also implied in the Reid article that knowledge that may help a developing country, such as India, to grow economically, must be freely available. Some

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