The White House will pen a $2.8 billion check in its efforts to help biomanufacturing and biotech companies, the administration said Sept. 14.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Sept. 12 to reinforce domestic manufacturing capabilities because the U.S. "has relied too heavily on foreign materials and bioproduction."
The initiative to bolster biotech and biomanufacturing mandates that the federal government buy more bio-based products, which can include plastics, fuels, materials and medicines, according to the White House.
Here's the breakdown of the funds, which total $2,805,000,000:
- $1 billion from the Defense Department for bioindustrial domestic manufacturing
- $500 million from the Agriculture Department for fertilizer production grants
- $270 million from the Defense Department for "defense supply chains," such as the production of fire-resistant materials
- $200 million from the Defense Department for biosecurity and cybersecurity improvements
- $200 million from the Commerce Department for bioeconomy boosts in New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, Oregon and Alaska
- $178 million from the Energy Department for bioresearch innovation awards
- $100 million from the Energy Department for efforts to convert biomass to usable fuels and chemicals, which includes better recycling practices of biobased plastics
- $93 million from the Agriculture Department for developing new forest resource products
- $68 million from the Agriculture Department for expanding the National Institutes of Health biotech entrepreneurship program
- $60 million from the Energy Department for reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to this executive order
- $40 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to increase pharmaceutical manufacturing
- $32 million from the Agriculture Department for forest resource grants
- $20 million from the Energy Department to predict and aid biotech and biomanufacturing risks
- $20 million from the National Science Foundation for a biosciences data center
- $14 million from the Commerce Department for biotech research
- $10 million from the Agriculture Department for studies on biobased products
Based on the success of the development of mRNA vaccines because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the order says agencies need to "identify priority R&D needs" for "discoveries into medical breakthroughs, climate change solutions, food and agricultural innovation and stronger U.S. supply chains."
Other directives include broadening access to biological data for biotech companies and incentivizing new biosecurity measures. The bioengineering industry is expected to accumulate nearly $30 trillion before 2030, according to the press briefing.