Shaping the Quad's DNA: How can Quad Countries Manage Biotech's Opportunities and Risks?

Abstract

This paper - authored by Dirk van der Kley from the School of Regulation and Global Governance - argues that biotechnology is set to be one of the most lucrative emerging technologies, offering an opportunity for Quad countries to cooperate on biotech standards, ethics, and joint research infrastructure. This opportunity also presents Quad countries a chance to play a role in shaping the biotechnology security debate. To ensure a common approach is taken to biotech, recommendations include a Biotech Standards Trade enabling program, a security and ethics dialogue, a Joint Research Infrastructure Sharing Arrangement, and an evolution of the Quad Vaccine Experts Group into a biotech dialogue with emerging countries.

About the Quad Tech Network

The Quad Tech Network (QTN) is an Australian Government initiative to promote Track 2 research and public dialogue on cyber and critical technology issues relevant to the Indo-Pacific region.

As part of the initiative, research institutions in Australia (the National Security College at The Australian National University), India (the Observer Research Foundation), Japan (the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) and the United States (Center for a New American Security) have commissioned papers on key issues facing the region.

These papers - together, the QTN series - offer analysis and recommendations on shared challenges facing Australia and Indo-Pacific partners in the cyber and technology environment.

The QTN is managed by the National Security College at The Australian National University, with the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.