Invest in Biotechnology sector in Colombia

1. INVEST IN
BIOTECHNOLOGY
“Biotechnology is a fundamental instrument that relates to most
development engines.”
President Juan Manuel Santos.
L ib erta
y O rd e n

2. Government Priority: Commercial Biotechnology
Development Policy Based on Sustainable Biodiversity Use.
By 2032 Colombia seeks to be recognized as a leader in development, production, commercialization and
exportation of high-added value products based on sustainable use of biodiversity. Accordingly, the Colombian
Government has designed a policy to support the creation of the economic, technical, institutional, and legal
conditions to attract public and private resources for the development of commercial products and companies
based on sustainability and the application of biotechnology. The four main objectives are the following:
• Develop financial instruments to attract
investment to develop biotechnologybased companies.
• Adapt and revise the existing regulatory
framework related to accessing genetic
resources and developing biotechnological
medications and phytotherapy products.
• Assess the creation of a Colombian
Bioprospecting Company.
• Improve institutional capacity for
commercial biotechnology development.

3. COLOMBIA, HIGH BIODIVERSITY
POTENTIAL.
• Colombia is one of the world’s mega
diverse countries. It hosts 10% of
known life-forms on only 0.7% of the
planet surface1. This indicator excludes
marine organisms and microbial
biodiversity. Earth Trends.
• Its tropical location allows a variety of
thermal floors with different altitudes
that vary between >24 °C and <6 °C
favoring the existence of a great number
of ecosystems (natural forests, savannas,
arid areas, wetlands, snow-capped
mountains, etc.).
• It has the second greatest floral
diversity in the world with over 50,000
known plant types, 36% of which are
endemic, meaning native to Colombia.
• It has the greatest diversity in
the world for birds, amphibians,
and orchids; second for plants,
butterflies and freshwater fish; third
in reptiles and palms; and forth in
mammals. Colombian Biodiversity
Information System (SIB).
• It is third after Brazil and Costa Rica
in ecosystem conservation, wildlife
protection, and conservation of water
resources. Colombian Biodiversity
Information System (SIB).
1. Excludes marine organisms and marine biodiversity.

4. Colombia has Incentives and Instruments for R&D.
• Income tax deduction of 175% of
the amount invested in R&D.
• VAT tax relief for imported
equipment for R&D centers.
• Support to place PhDs in companies.
Colciencias.*
• Funding of scientific, technological,
or innovation projects are nontaxable income (applies to centers
and researchers).
• Co-financing of science, technology, and
innovation projects that benefit one or
several companies and that are jointly
executed with Colciencias-recognized
development centers. Colciencias.*
*Open calls depending on budget availability.

5. Development Opportunities in Red, Green, and
White Biotechnology.
Colombia has business projects portfolio in biotechnology such as:
Red Biotechnology
• GreenCides Arcanatura: Natural
insecticide for pets.
• Keraderm: Artificial skin for burns
treatment.
• Nesta: Save environmental
disinfectant for poultry farm.
• Gardedam: Therapies for Parkinson.
• Phairi Lab: Phytopharmaceuticals with
anti-tumoral potential.
• Akar: Diagnosis kit to mite detection in
close environment.
• KIT T B: Biological marker kit to
tuberculosis diagnosis.
GREEN BIOTECHNOLOGY
• New-Co: Bio fertilizers and bio
pesticides for different crops
(CORPOICA).
• Bioallpa: Microorganism for bio fertilizers
and waste compost.
• Inbiotech: Drug-cosmetic to prevent
hair loss.
White Biotechnology
• Sinergia: Microorganisms extremozymes
for industrial uses.
• Satech: Waste treatment technologies.
• BioSurfact: Biosurfactants for natural
cosmetic production.

6. COLOMBIA, A COUNTRY WITH MULTIPLE DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.
1. BOGOTA-CUNDINAMARCA
3. CALDAS, RISARALDA AND QUINDIO
Development opportunities for biotechnology, agricultural
products, bioproducts, health biotechnology, cosmetics,
and biopackaging.
Development opportunities in livestock and industrial
biotechnology.
• Institute of Biotechnology - Universidad Nacional:
Five lines of agricultural biotechnology research,
biotechnology in health, bioinformatics, bioprocesses
and bioprospecting.
• Corpoica - Industrial Technology Corridor: Generates
scientific knowledge and technological solutions
through research and innovation in the agribusiness
sector. Research lines in seeds, agricultural supplies,
technology solutions for livestock and agribusiness
products.
• Center of Biotechnology and Biobusiness: Generates
scientific research and innovative biotechnology
solutions that add value to agricultural sector
production chains in Colombia.
• CorpoGen: Center of excellence in scientific research
and bioproduct progress. Classifies animal and plant
germplasm. Five research lines in molecular genetics,
molecular biotechnology, ecology, metabolism, and
microbial genetics.
2. BUCARAMANGA-SANTANDER
Development opportunities for natural ingredients.
• Center for Research Excellence - CENIVAM: Research
on aromatic and medicinal species to develop essences,
extracts and natural derivatives.
• Guatiguara Technology Park: Innovative development
center with laboratories exclusively for biotechnology
R&D and future spaces for biotechnology-based
companies.
• National Center for Bioinformatics and
Computational Biology: Supercomputational
infrastructure for biotechnology R&D in Latin
America.
• Network of Universities and R&D Centers.
Biotechnology Knowledge Cluster (University,
Company and State). Manizales Chamber of
Commerce.
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4. CALI-VALLE DEL CAUCA
Development opportunities for new products in food,
cosmetics, and industry from biological resources.
• Consolidation of the Pacific Agribusiness, Science,
and Technology Park, “Parque Biopacifico,” to
operate and develop technology-based companies,
mainly in the field of agribusiness and soon to
include areas related to life sciences.
• International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT): Research on beans, animal feed, cassava,
rice, and tropical fruits, germplasm bank2, food
safety, agrobiodiversity, integrated soil management,
tropical fruits, and climate change.
• Corporacion Biotech: Development and application
of biotechnology to optimize biobusiness production
chains.
5. MEDELLIN-ANTIOQUIA
Development opportunities in green biotechnology
and natural ingredients.
2. Conservation of genetic resources. 3. Strategic alliance of 10 universities, Antioquia Technology Park, and the company Ecoflora.
• Biontropic3: Strategic alliance of 6 universities and 3
companies to promote business based on biodiversity and
biotechnology. The alliance has a portfolio of patents and
research related to agrotechnology, natural ingredients,
energy, and environmental technology.
• National Center for Genome Sequencing: Provides tools
to protect and understand biodiversity, obtains genetic
information and compares genomes.
• CECIF: Center for Research and Technological Development
for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, veterinary, phytotherapy,
and nutraceutic sectors.