THE EMERGENCE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY-RELATED INDUSTRIES IN MEXICO

Resumen

This paper analyzes the emergence of biotechnology-related industries in Mexico. It is assumed that there are three important features for studying this process: (1) biotechnology cannot be understood as a single sector or industry; (2) new biotechnology firms have emerged from the very beginning of the biotechnology revolution, suggesting thus that the creation of high-level scientific capabilities is crucial to develop biotechnology-related firms; and (3) substantial part of the biotechnology research is actually carried out by public laboratories and universities. The paper concludes discussing on the importance of public funding for developing a competitive biotechnology-related firms sector.