The 2023 State of the Union speech saw biotechnology rise as a priority for the European Union. It has been designated as a critical technology for Europe’s economic security. In March 2024, the European Commission presented its biotechnology and biomanufacturing strategy with a clear leadership ambition for Europe’s biotech industries. The Letta Report on the future of the Single Market, published April 2024, proposed a fifth freedom on research and innovation which would directly benefit biotech.