Sphene CapitalDespite the recent stock market rally and declining volatility, IPOs are rather rare in many industrialised countries –not least for seasonal reasons. The main reason for this, however, is the aggressive monetary policy of the central banks, with more than ten interest rate hikes in both Europe and the US.
As cultivated meat moves closer to commercialisation, we are seeing a worrying trend of misinformation entering the public debate. This food can play a vital role in ensuring Europe’s food system is fit for the future – helping satisfy the growing demand for meat while boosting food security – but political opposition has mounted, with the Italian government taking the controversial step of banning cultivated meat.
The Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBoA) of the European Patent Office will decide upon a question of high relevance for patents in the field biotechnology. The question to be decided concerns the interpretation of what has been “made available to the public”.
Continuing geopolitical uncertainty has perpetuated volatility in global markets, exacerbated by higher inflation and interest rates. The impact has left the biotech market in a limbo as investors eschew riskier investments, but there are signs of a potential recovery ahead.
The European Court of Justice ruling from 2018 which put the latest breeding methods under the EU GMO legislation was a huge pushback for plant breeding innovation in the EU. With the proposal for a new regulation for certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) published on 5 July 2023, some faith in a rebirth of plant breeding innovation may just start to return.
Stock markets love investment concepts, calling the robust ones ‘megatrends’. Golden ageing is one such megatrend banking on the fact that business can extract more from people living longer. Such megatrend investments help – up to the moment when rising interest rates crash the party.
Stock markets love investment concepts, calling the robust ones ‘megatrends’. Golden ageing is one such megatrend banking on the fact that business can extract more from people living longer. Such megatrend investments help – up to the moment when rising interest rates crash the party.
Biotechnology is helping us tackle challenges such as emerging diseases, the impact of ageing in healthcare, population growth, climate change, and the green transition of the economy. Precision medicines, advanced therapies, mRNA and gene editing technologies are transforming the way diseases can be diagnosed and treated, providing life-saving solutions. Biotechnology is also at the forefront of building a sustainable economy, developing better crops, providing new protein sources, and producing bio-based materials.
Inflation has rebounded with a vengeance from its pandemic-induced recession lows. The US headline inflation rate surged to levels not seen since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, while the Eurozone’s Harmonised Index of Consumer Price (HICP) rose to the highest level in its entire 30-year lifespan.