INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY: CASE ANALYSIS

Öz

Biotechnology initiatives, whatever they may be (government research agency, public-private company or private enterprise), need all kinds of support, whether to develop products related to drugs or for developments in other sub-sectors of biotechnology (such as agriculture, food and environment). For South African biotech companies, the lack of sufficient capital and the availability of funding is a chronic problem that has lasted for many years. In this article, using the case analysis method, a study was conducted to better understand the importance of supporting and financing biotechnology firms, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, as accepted by the key players of the sector in South Africa, one of the developing countries. Overall, biotechnology firms have a more positive approach than their start-up participants do. Nevertheless, alongside this, respondents believe that South Africa's biotechnology lags behind that of other developing countries, but has the potential to grow substantially with the enablers. They have also defined South African biotech venture capital as in its infancy, risk-averse, and conservative in investment power. In addition, the few laboratories that were not operating due to pandemic response time, financial coordination for Covid-19 research, lack of R&D investments, lack of communication between authorities, and complete lockdowns were all recorded as problems.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Innovation
• Innovation ecosystem
• Biotechnology
• South Africa.

İNOVASYON EKOSİSTEMLERİ VE BİYOTEKNOLOJİ ENDÜSTRİSİ: VAKA ANALİZİ ÇALIŞMASI

Öz

Biyoteknoloji girişimleri ne tür olursa olsun (devlet araştırma kurumu, kamu-özel şirketi veya özel bir işletme), gerek ilaçlarla ilgili ürünler geliştirmek için gerekse diğer biyoteknolojinin alt sektörlerinde (tarım, gıda ve çevresel gibi) gelişmeler için her türlü desteklenmeye ihtiyaçları vardır. Güney Afrikalı biyoteknoloji şirketleri için yeterli sermayenin elde edilmemesi ve fonun mevcudiyeti uzun yıllar suren ve kronik bir problemdir. Bu makalede vaka analizi metodu kullanılarak, gelişmekte olan ülkelerden biri olan Güney Afrika’da politika yapıcılara, sektörün kilit oyuncuları tarafından da kabul edildiği gibi, özellikle Covid-19 pandemisi sırasında biyoteknoloji firmaların desteklenmesinin ve finanse edilmesinin önemini daha iyi anlamak amaçlı bir çalışma yapılmıştır. Genel olarak, biyoteknoloji firmaları girişimci (start-up) katılımcılarına göre daha olumlu bir yaklaşım içerisindedir. Bununla birlikte katılımcılar Güney Afrika biyoteknolojisinin diğer gelişmekte olan ülkelerin gerisinde kaldığına, ancak etkileştiricilerle önemli ölçüde büyüme potansiyeline sahip olduğuna inanmaktadırlar. Ayrıca Güney Afrika biyoteknoloji risk sermayesini, emekleme aşamasında, riskten kaçınan, yatırım gücünde muhafazakar olarak tanımlamışlardır. Buna ek olarak, Ar-Ge yatırım eksikliği, pandemiye müdahale süresi, Covid-19 araştırmaları için finansal koordinasyon, yetkililer arasında iletişim eksikliği ve tam kilitlenmeler nedeniyle faaliyet göstermeyen birkaç laboratuvarın hepsi sorun olarak kaydedilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İnovasyon
• İnovasyon ekosistemi
• Biyoteknoloji
• Guney Afrika.
• Innovation
• Innovation ecosystem
• Biotechnology
• South Africa.

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