Biology as Technology: Engineering Life for a Sustainable Future

IXL Center Team
Oct 28
2 min read

Why This Matters Now

For over a century, industry has been built on the extraction of materials, energy, and resources. Today, a new paradigm is emerging: biology as technology.Synthetic biology enables organizations to program living systems to produce everything from sustainable chemicals and fertilizers to textiles and medicines. This convergence of biology, AI, and automation is creating a new industrial revolution, one that designs with nature, not against it.

By 2030, the global bioeconomy could exceed $4 trillion, driving growth across agriculture, healthcare, materials, and energy. The leaders of this new era will be those who can harness biological intelligence as a core innovation capability.

The Strategic Questions Every Executive Should Be Asking

How can biology-driven innovation reduce our reliance on finite materials and supply chains?
Where can engineered biology create a competitive advantage in our products or processes?
What partnerships or ecosystems will we need to access biological capabilities?
How do we integrate data, AI, and automation to accelerate biological R&D?
Can biology become our next growth engine - not just a sustainability initiative?

Cross-Industry Market Signals

Leaders across industries are already building new capabilities in response to restrictions:

Ginkgo Bioworks is enabling companies to design custom microbes that manufacture materials, food ingredients, and medicines sustainably.
LanzaTech is turning industrial waste gases into ethanol and polyester fibers, powering a circular carbon economy.
BASF is developing bio-based enzymes and catalysts that reduce emissions and improve process efficiency in chemicals and materials manufacturing.

Case Studies in Action

Our work highlights how organizations are turning biological innovation into growth:

Agriculture: explored how bio-based processes could enhance nutrient delivery, reduce emissions, and enable regenerative production.
Consumer Goods: investigated how bio-based ingredients could replace synthetic compounds and align with sustainability goals.
Healthcare: examined how digital biology and data-driven R&D could accelerate drug discovery and reduce waste in production.

The Risk of Inaction

Organizations that fail to embrace bio-innovation risk:

Falling behind competitors in leveraging nature-based design for faster, cleaner production.
Regulatory pressure as governments promote bio-based and circular alternatives.
Brand erosion as consumers favor sustainable, traceable products.
Missed opportunities in fast-growing markets for bio-materials and green manufacturing.

From Awareness to Action – How the Innovation Olympics Helps

The IXL Innovation Olympics connects organizations with top-tier global talent to uncover bio-driven opportunities aligned with their strategic goals.

Through our program, organizations can: