The Swedish Defence Research Agency (Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut, FOI) has submitted a risk assessment of the biotechnology sector to the Ministry of Defence. The report asserts that the technology is crucial for total defence but warns that a fragmented industry and lack of scaling capabilities pose security risks.
In September last year, the government tasked FOI with mapping national capabilities and risks within biotechnology. The results, presented earlier in January to the Ministry of Defence and now summarised by FOI, highlight the dual-use nature of the technology, where civilian advancements can also be applied militarily.
According to the agency, there is significant potential to enhance both operational capability and civil preparedness, for example in trauma care where tissue adhesives can be used to accelerate wound healing. At the same time, the importance of bioanalysis for identifying biological threats is emphasised.
– Already today, bioanalysis and forensics with advanced DNA/RNA sequencing are crucial for quickly verifying and characterising biological threats. What is often forgotten is that this is a value chain: From data and laboratory capacity to robust procedures, quality assurance, and operational implementation, says Alexander Gorgijevski, a researcher at FOI.
The report identifies a discrepancy between Sweden's strong basic research and the ability to industrialise. Challenges such as a lack of venture capital in later stages and unclear regulatory requirements risk leading to production and ownership moving abroad, according to the researchers.
– The biggest problems are the lack of scaling capacity and venture capital when a product is entering a later development phase, that supply chains are both vulnerable and dependent on foreign technology, and unclear regulatory requirements, says researcher Michal Budryk.
During the work, researchers interviewed vaccine producers. It emerged that key personnel in the industry often lack wartime placement and that there are no clear preparedness contracts for production capacity during crises. FOI recommends that these regulatory and contractual deficiencies be addressed.