Last year I was honored to be included in a Community crystal gazing feature, where we were asked about the biggest challenges that the biotech industry will face in the coming years. I wrote that we “must enable an active decentralization of biotech that allows new players from outside of the traditional tech and wealth hubs to develop solutions for underserved markets and needs.”
Decentralization is, clearly, a big issue for me. When I write for this blog, I scavenge for information on the latest happenings in biotech in Chile, my country, and I read what the rest of Latin American writers are reporting on, too. I’ve often said that talent is evenly distributed, but opportunities aren’t. I’d say that press coverage isn’t evenly distributed, either.
On my last article I explored how the ChileGlobal Biotec initiative seeks to put Chilean biotech on the map. It’s a government-run project, and so it makes sense it’s all about the country.
But what about the region?
It’s startling that there isn’t a biotech network for my region, started by Latin Americans and focused on Latin American issues. It seemed ridiculous enough to make us do something about it.
This is why we launched Allbiotech, which stands for América Latina: Líderes Biotech. And yes, the pun and alternate name are intentional. We want to bring together the next generation of biotechnologists in our region, fostering collaboration and accelerating the development of an ecosystem in Latin America.
Originally written for Nature Biotechnology. Check out the full post in the Trade Secrets Blog.
Emilia Díaz 