ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the sectoral innovation system for the case of biotechnology. The term biotechnology has been used with varying meanings and a number of definitions can be found in the literature. The common interpretation is the one which associates biotechnology with the use of advanced techniques such as genetic engineering, cell fusion and protein engineering. In any case, biotechnology is not an industrial sector per se, but a set of advanced technologies which affect several industries. In some cases, the impact of biotechnology is already highly visible, as in the case of the pharmaceutical sector. To a lesser extent, but also affected by biotechnology, there are sectors such as the chemical industry, the food and feed industries, mining and oil recovery, agriculture and environmental issues, such as waste disposal and pollution control.
