The Polish biotech gap

Like several other universities across the country, the Technical University of Lodz in Poland is actively training students to work in the biotechnology sector. But there is a problem: so far, Poland has very few biotech companies and there is scant venture capital available to start more.

So what should the graduate students do? They could bide their time doing a PhD in the hope that in the meantime things will improve, but funding is scarce, and even if they qualify, they would get only €180 (US$232) per month. Poland's cost of living is lower than the European Union average, but it's still not low enough to live on that amount.

Rather than waiting and hoping, a group of professionals engaged in the life sciences are helping to develop the Polish Federation of Biotechnology. We, as the young generation of biotechnologists, are looking forward to proposed initiatives such as establishing incubators and more academic–industry interaction.

We need to garner public support for biotechnology now, if incubators and funding are to follow later. To get that support, the Academic Students' Society of Biotechnology and the Young European Biotech Network hope to raise awareness through events in various European cities next year, starting in Lodz, Poland. The goal is to get people involved in a dialogue with life-sciences students and early-stage researchers.

Both politicians and the public must be made aware of how important biotechnology is to the future of Poland's economy. It is vital to show that it is the technology of the future and, consequently, that Poland will lose out if it does not join the biotech race. If it continues to lag behind, it will end up importing all of the crucial technologies from abroad.

At present, biotechnology in Poland is a niche that is crying out for investment. The government is spending plenty of money on education, but if it were to invest in setting up biotech companies, it should readily see a return on its cash.

Hopefully, the situation will soon change. Once Poland becomes a full member of the European Union, more international companies will be interested in setting up laboratories in the country, and in investing in small biotech companies there. Graduate students will finally have the chance to develop their ideas and work in the field of their education.