Abstract
Marine biology made in the last four decades giant leaps. Several scientific and technological breakthroughs shaped research in the marine environment. Thanks to the revelation of the enormous width and complexity of sea life, marine biotechnology began a fast path of development that involved both the public and the private domain. Although there exist some studies on the dimensions and the evolution of the industry, few and scattered is the knowledge about the firms and the dynamics that characterize the sector. The authors carry out a first investigation of the private organizations that belong to blue biotechnology through the construction of an “ad hoc” sample of firms. It is analyzed the geographical and temporal distribution, the products and services offered and the markets served.
Highlights
Several progresses in the scientific and technological fields shaped marine biological research in the last 40 years
Aim of this paper is to provide scientists and research managers who desire a deeper understanding an up-to-date picture of the dynamics that shape marine biotechnology industry
It involves an integrated effort of the scientific community working on marine and maritime issues and some major industrial groups15 One of the objective of the program for all the academic institutions involved is to strengthen cooperation with the private sector in two complementary directions: inducing the research community to respond to the needs of industry and encouraging the latter to contribute to a relaunch of the technologies available to marine researchers
Summary
Several progresses in the scientific and technological fields shaped marine biological research in the last 40 years. Technological developments opened new ways to collect organisms and brought new discoveries. While in 1970 s the investigation of marine ecosystems began with the collection of large creatures (sponges, soft corals, red algae), it evolved with the exploration of inaccessible areas and the classification of microorganisms. In Hu et al (2011) the trend of novel products of marine origin is described from the early 1950 s to 2008. Before 1985 only a small number of compounds were discovered each year, never reaching a significant amount. The trend changed importantly at the end of 1980 s, peaking up to 400–500 products each year
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
