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INTRODUCTION
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FROM THE SEA
Marine biotechnology is a relatively new field that involves the discovery
and application of products and processes derived from marine organisms. Marine
biotechnology's promising future reflects the tremendous biodiversity of the
world's oceans and seas. The oceans and seas cover more than three-quarters of
the earth's surface. Marine organisms account for a major share of the Earth's
biological resources. Most major groups of living organisms are primarily or
exclusively marine. Science has identified close to 200,000 species of marine
algae, animal bacteria, fungi and viruses, with perhaps as many as four times
this number of organisms as yet unidentified. Tropical marine environments
harbor an especially wide diversity of animals and plants.
The promise of marine biotechnology also reflects many marine organisms' need
to adapt themselves to the extremes of temperature, pressure and darkness that
are found in the world's seas. The demands of the marine environment have led
these organisms to evolve unique structures, metabolic pathways, reproductive
systems, and sensory and defense mechanisms. Many of these same properties have
important potential applications in the terrestrial world.
For example, many marine organisms are sessile and must employ sophisticated
methods to compete for a place to anchor. Barnacles and mussels, which depend on
their ability to attach to solid surfaces for survival, have developed
bio-adhesives that stick to all kinds of wet surfaces. Research into the ways
that marine organisms adhere to wet surfaces, or prevent other organisms from
adhering to them, is yielding useful new technologies. These technologies
include both adhesion inhibitors (e.g., anti-fouling coatings for ship hulls)
and new types of adhesive such as medical "glues" for joining tissue
or promoting cell attachment in tissue engineering applications
In spite of the sea's vast potential as a source of new biotechnologies, this
domain remains relatively unexplored. Relatively few marine biotechnology
products and services have been commercialized to date. Indeed, the vast
majority of marine organisms (primarily microorganisms) have yet to be
identified. Even for known organisms, there is insufficient knowledge to permit
their intelligent management and application.
STUDY BACKGROUND
Nearly ten years have passed since Business Communications Corporation
published twin studies of the marine biotechnology industry: C-184A Marine
Biopolymers and C-184B Products of Marine Biotechnology. These studies analyzed
the key growth areas in marine biotechnology and developed quantitative market
projections.
Since then, there have been to our knowledge no broad-based quantitative
analyses that focused specifically on the marine biotechnology industry. Most
market studies of marine biotechnology products have been conducted as segments
of much larger studies of subjects such as aquaculture, commercial opportunities
from the oceans, hydrocolloids, gums, thickeners, water soluble polymers,
biotechnology, etc.
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
These other studies, while useful, have not provided sufficient in-depth
analysis of the marine biotechnology industry. It is the intention of this
report to address this shortcoming by focusing on this important and growing
industry. Thus, the goals of this study include providing the reader with
- an understanding of commercial potential associated with the biodiversity
that exists in the marine environment; and
- an overall, quantitative view of the emerging U.S. marine biotechnology
industry and potential domestic and international markets for U.S. marine
biotechnology-related products and services.
More specific objectives are to:
- Identify and classify the marine biotechnology products and services that
have been commercialized to date.
- Analyze the historical and current volume and value of shipments of each
of these commercial biotechnology products and services in specified
geographical markets.
- Identify the most important end-user markets for each technology and
application.
- Identify the main suppliers of each product or service and relative market
shares.
- Assess buyer criteria and other factors influencing major suppliers'
competitiveness in the market.
- Analyze the main demand drivers and other factors influencing the future
market for each commercial marine biotechnology product or service.
- Discuss legal, regulatory, environmental and marine conservation issues
affecting the market.
- Forecast the volume and value of shipments of each product or service in
the specified geographical markets through 2007.
- Describe marine biotechnology products and services that are currently in
the testing or research and development stage.
- Assess the probability that these developmental technologies will lead to
actual commercial products or services in the 2002 to 2007 time frame.
- Forecast the potential market for these developmental; technologies
weighted to reflect the estimated probability that they will be
commercialized.
- Assess the long-term outlook for the marine biotechnology industry,
including the most promising opportunities as well as threats and risks.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
The report has been written for the entire marine biotechnology interest
community, but is tailored especially for readers with an interest in the
marketing, management and public policy dimensions of marine biotechnology,
including readers in:
- the biotechnology industry, particularly companies in the marine
biotechnology field;
- biotechnology, marine biology and oceanographic research institutions
- governmental organizations with relevant responsibilities such as marine
fisheries management and conservation, the environment, local economic
development, foreign trade, and food and drug safety
- university and college programs in biotechnology and industrial science
- the financial and analyst community
SCOPE AND FORMAT
This report is an analytical business tool whose primary purpose is to
describe the U.S. marine biotechnology industry and the emerging market for
marine biotechnology products and services. Its main focus is on the U.S. market
(including imports) and major export markets for U.S. marine biotechnology
outputs. Specific topics covered include:
- major types and applications of marine biotechnology
- industry structure
- market size and segmentation, including historical data on sales by
product/service and end-user segment
- market drivers
- detailed market projections through 2007
- user requirements and success factors
- competition and market shares
- observations and conclusions regarding the future of the marine
biotechnology industry
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