Envisioning the Future Governance of the Bioeconomy

摘要

We are at a point where advances in biotechnology, as-sisted by synthetic biology, information technology, nanotechnology, and robotics, are transforming nature, industry, and society. No agency, including EPA, can by itself be prepared for a new bioeconomy. Governance of it will require coordinated, dynamic, and inclusive approaches. Innovation will continue to outpace our knowledge about its societal consequences, unless we shift our paradigm for governance. There is not currently time or space for societal reflection about what is the appropriate, safe, or desirable use of technology for a bioeconomy. Societal transitions catalyzed by emerging biotechnologies won't happen overnight — but they will creep up on us.