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Type of barrier Specific problems Important for stakeholders?91 (1 = none, 5 = very) developments Lack of investment in SMEs, SMEs assume risk and often run out of funds before product development is complete (especially for second and third rounds of product development) Knowledge Lack of basic research into ecology of marine species and organisms from unusual and extreme environments decreases chances of finding novel bioactive compounds. Limited understanding of physiology and ecology of marine species Lack of data about marine model organisms Difficult for SMES to access knowledge infrastructure such as research vessels and underwater vehicles Access to resources Discoveries are not subject to benefit sharing (high seas). Unclear and incomplete legal framework Exploration and sampling in areas of environmental extremes (e.g. high seas) is difficult and expensive Policy There is no Europe wide policy on marine biotechnology. There are varying national policies, strategies, initiatives and programmes. Supply Culturing marine microorganisms is problematic as culture techniques are specific for marine organisms. New culture methods and media needed to accommodate the complex and symbiotic nature of marine organisms Productivity of original organisms is often too low to make commercial production possible. Other Lack of incentives to scientists to fully commit to product development when alternatives exist (i.e. bio-antifoul product). Technical / equipment Development and optimisation of appropriate bioengineering tools Tools and platforms to facilitate high throughput screening of new ‘omics’ related information are needed The cultivability of bioactive compounds is constrained by success of microbial and tissue culture, chemical synthesis and biosynthetic engineering. Lack of bio-assays that can accommodate diverse material from marine sources 5 Scope for EU action? (1 = none, 5 = yes) 4 4 3 4 2 4 4 2 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 2 4 1 5 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 58 Study in support of Impact Assessment work on Blue Biotechnology

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