Then and Now: 120 Bioeconomy Pioneers look at yesterday, today, inspirations and challenges

Doug Rivers

Then:  I started work for ICM July 29, 2007 and worked there for 10 years as Director of Research & Development building ICM’s facilities, equipment, and personnel capabilities to pilot and commercialize new biotechnology processes.

After 10 years as Director of R&D at ICM, I formed my own company to do independent contracting/consulting.

Now: My work today is conducting business development, connecting companies in need of specific capabilities with others that can provide those needs, providing expertise to start up companies and technology offices at universities to improve their potential for commercial success, and networking with colleagues across the industry to continue to move the bioeconomy forward.

Inspirations:  I like that it is providing added value to agricultural crops and providing good, new jobs in the economy.  And importantly, as we are learning, many of the new products are beginning to show enhanced performance properties in a variety of commercial applications.

Challenges: There are plenty of challenges.  Two that stick out to me are the regulatory uncertainties and the challenge of scale up and the associated costs.  The first makes is difficult to make good decisions when you don’t know or can’t reasonably predict what the business climate will be in the near term. Scale up of new technology through the Valley of Death is always a technical and financial challenge that pits the need for current returns against the need to innovate and spend increased  volumes of cash without current returns.  And it always costs more than you think.  It too is unpredictable.