Revisiting and Realizing the Promises of Synthetic Biology

The document argues that for synthetic biology to realize its full potential, it must embed core values of equity, humility, sustainability, and solidarity. It identifies historical failures, such as over-promising on biofuels and the exclusion of the Global South, and recommends international collaboration, inclusive policy-making, and a shift in funding frameworks to prioritize social and environmental outcomes over purely technical or economic gains.

• Equity in synthetic biology is hindered by disparities in resource flows and ownership, specifically limiting the ability of researchers in the Global South to innovate and restricting leadership opportunities for women, people of colour, and under-represented groups.
• The field has suffered from a lack of humility, characterized by 'hubris' regarding technical possibilities and a tendency to over-promise economic benefits, which risks a loss of public trust. This is exemplified by the unrealistic timeframes previously promised for advanced biofuels.
• Synthetic biology can contribute to sustainability by replacing fossil-derived feedstocks, creating sustainable plastics, developing CO2 capture and storage, and reinventing meat production, though it is only a partial solution and must be paired with strategies to address underlying consumption models.
• International solidarity is currently lacking, as evidenced by the COVID-19 vaccine roll-outs where intellectual property regimes and export controls have prevented developing countries from accessing synthetic biology-based technologies.
• The document recommends that bioeconomy policy and R&D funding should integrate design thinking and a plurality of perspectives early on to embed social values into the technology and develop better measures for innovation success.

APA

World Economic Forum (2021). Revisiting and Realizing the Promises of Synthetic Biology. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Revisiting_and_Realizing_the_Promises_of_Synthetic_Biology_2021.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Revisiting and Realizing the Promises of Synthetic Biology. 2021. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Revisiting_and_Realizing_the_Promises_of_Synthetic_Biology_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Revisiting and Realizing the Promises of Synthetic Biology |date=October 2021 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Revisiting_and_Realizing_the_Promises_of_Synthetic_Biology_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2021revisiting, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Revisiting and Realizing the Promises of Synthetic Biology}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Revisiting_and_Realizing_the_Promises_of_Synthetic_Biology_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }