Synthetic Biology 
National Progress Report 

CSIRO Australia’s National Science Agency



Citation and authorship

CSIRO and Main Sequence Ventures (2023) Synthetic 
Biology: National Progress Report. CSIRO, Canberra.

This report was authored by CSIRO Futures, with support 
from CSIRO’s Advanced Engineering Biology Futures Science 
Platform and Main Sequence Ventures. 

CSIRO Futures

At CSIRO Futures we bring together science, technology, 
and economics to help governments and businesses 
develop transformative strategies that tackle their biggest 
challenges. As the strategic and economic advisory 
arm of Australia’s national science agency, we are 
uniquely positioned to transform complexity into clarity, 
uncertainty into opportunity, and insights into action.

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© Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research 
Organisation 2023 To the extent permitted by law, all rights 
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Acknowledgement

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sea, and waters, of the area that we live and work on across 
Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to 
their culture, and we pay our respects to their Elders past 
and present.

Disclaimer

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publication comprises general statements based on 
research. The reader is advised and needs to be aware 
that such information may be incomplete or unable 
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information or material contained in it.



Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4

Recent research and translation activities.....................................................................................5Recent industry activities......................................................................................................................8Australia’s economic opportunity....................................................................................................10Roadmap recommendations: recent progress..........................................................................12Call to action..............................................................................................................................................16Endnotes......................................................................................................................................................17

Introduction

Synthetic biology, also known as engineering biology, 
combines engineering workflows and sophisticated genetic 
technologies to rapidly design and build novel biological 
solutions. This interdisciplinary area has the potential to 
deliver knowledge and tools that underpin new products 
and manufacturing approaches across a range of industries, 
from novel medical products to the sustainable production 
of food, energy, medicines, chemicals, and materials. 
Synthetic biology could also enable carbon emissions 
reduction and sequestration across these industries, 
accelerate the decarbonisation of the global economy 
and create new jobs. Portions of this report categorise the 
potentially impacted sectors into agriculture and food, 
health and medicine, environment and cleantech, and 
industry and energy. 

In 2021, CSIRO released A National Synthetic Biology 
Roadmap.1 The Roadmap sought to raise awareness of 
existing national capabilities, outline strategic growth 
opportunities, and provide recommendations for pursuing 
them. The Roadmap noted that synthetic biology would 
be critical to a thriving Australian bioeconomy, but greater 
national coordination was needed to support industrial 
translation, scaling, and the commercial success of 
its applications. 

Since the release of the Roadmap, Australia has made 
several investments into further developing the nation’s 
synthetic biology capabilities. This progress report 
highlights the evolution of Australia’s synthetic biology 
ecosystem over the last three years, discussing major 
developments in research and industry, and updating the 
Roadmap’s 2040 national market sizing analysis. This report 
reiterates that a prominent domestic opportunity to 
develop a national synthetic biology capability exists. With 
appropriate support and investment, this capability could 
underpin up to $30b in annual revenue across impacted 
sectors and create over 50,000 new jobs by 2040.

This progress report was informed by desktop research 
using publicly available information. Case studies 
demonstrate developments in the local market and 
highlight the growing potential and breadth of applications 
of synthetic biology in Australia. This report is not intended 
to be an exhaustive representation of the synthetic biology 
ecosystem in Australia.



Recent research and 
translation activities

Australia has continued to foster a strong synthetic biology research and development 
ecosystem, announcing $44.5m in research grants and establishing research 
translation and commercialisation support programs over the last three years. 

Over the last three years, national research grant schemes 
(e.g., Australian Research Council (ARC) and National Health 
and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)), have awarded 
$29.7m in grants for discrete research projects directly 
related to synthetic biology (see Figure 1).2 An additional 
$14.8m of grant funding was identified that supported 
broader biotechnology research projects and could 
indirectly support the development of national synthetic 
biology capabilities.3 The ARC also separately funds Centres 
of Excellence, Training Centres and Development Hubs 
to undertake synthetic biology research, development 
and translation activities. For example, the ARC Centre 
of Excellence for Synthetic Biology ($35m over 7 years, 
awarded in 2021) (see Case study 1), and the ARC Digital 
Bioprocess Development Hub ($5m awarded in 2021). 

Research grants awarded in 2023 saw increased funding 
awarded for environment and cleantech and agnostic 
research, the latter referring to research developments 
that could be translated for application across multiple 
sectors. In comparison, over the 2018–20 period, 85% of 
grants directly related to synthetic biology were awarded 
to agriculture and food related research.4 The shift towards 
a more balanced funding allocation could be explained by 
the relative maturity of agriculture and food research and 
applications, which are increasingly being commercialised 
(see Figure 2), while grant funding often focuses on 
discovery research which is now more evenly spread 
across sectors as new applications are explored. 

Figure 1: Research grants announced in Australia for directly 
related synthetic biology research, annually since 2021, 
by sector application.

Several initiatives have also been established and expanded 
over the last three years to support the translation 
and commercialisation of synthetic biology research 
(see Table 3). Activities include government investment in 
dedicated translation and commercialisation programs, 
and an increase in synthetic biology specific incubators and 
accelerators (see Case study 2 and 3). Research translation 
has also been supported by strategic investments from 
Federal and State governments in infrastructure and 
collaboration programs, resulting in joint research and 
industry partnerships and collaborations (see Case study 4). 



Case study 1: ARC Centre of Excellence 
for Synthetic Biology

The Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology, led 
by Macquarie University, was created in 2021 with 
$50m in funding over 7 years from the ARC and 
industry and academic partners.5 The Centre is a 
partnership between nine Australian universities 
and a range of biotech start-ups, government 
departments, international university and research 
facilities, medium to large businesses, and industry 
bodies. In the three years since its launch the Centre 
has spun out seven startup companies. Researchers 
at the Centre have also undertaken a range of 
nationally and globally significant synthetic biology 
research. As part of the global research collaboration 
Yeast 2.0 Project, which is attempting to create the 
first completely engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae 
strain, researchers at the Centre have designed and 
built the synthetic single yeast chromosome, SynXIV.6 

Case study 2: The Trailblazer 
Universities Program

In 2022 the Australian Government Department 
of Education launched the Trailblazer Universities 
Program to build new research capabilities and drive 
commercialisation outcomes.7 The program has 
established two synthetic biology enabled projects. 

The Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA)8 is a $160m 
initiative with $50m of Trailblazer investment led by 
the University of Queensland (UQ) in collaboration 
with partners the Queensland University of Technology 
(QUT), the University of Southern Queensland and 
UniQuest. FaBA will build new research capabilities, 
drive commercialisation, and invest in industry 
engagement opportunities for the food and beverage 
manufacturing sector, focusing on smart production 
and biomanufacturing innovations, including those 
underpinned by synthetic biology. 

The Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub 
(REACH)9 is a $380m initiative with $50m of Trailblazer 
investment, based at Deakin University’s Future Economy 
Precinct. REACH is leading Australia’s largest recycling 
and clean energy advanced manufacturing ecosystem 
and is using synthetic biology enabled technologies 
to convert organic waste into higher-value products. 



Case study 3: UNSW Founders 
Program Bio10x

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Founders 
Program created Bio10x in 2022 to address the gap 
between researcher ideation and startup creation 
and facilitation, specifically for synthetic biology. 10 
The program is open to startups from across Australia 
and delivered in partnership between UNSW Founders, 
Main Sequence Ventures (MSV), UNSW RNA Institute 
and UNSW School for Biotechnology and Biomolecular 
Sciences. Each participating startup is offered 
$140,000 investment via a Simple Agreement for Future 
Equity from UNSW ($20,000) and MSV ($120,000) 
with potential for high performing startups to secure 
further MSV investment. The program also offers up 
to six months of free access to university facilities, 
services and labs at UNSW, and up to $30,000 worth of 
services and access to facilities across Australia through 
partnerships with Bioplatforms Australia (BPA) and the 
Australian Genome Foundry. Over two cohorts, Bio10x 
has supported nine companies from across Australia, 
and Bio10x Cohort 1 companies have already raised over 
$15m from local and international investors.11

Case study 4: IDEA Bio

The Integrated Design Environment for Advanced 
Biomanufacturing (IDEA Bio) at UQ was established 
in 2021 as one of the two Biofoundries funded by the 
National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy 
(NCRIS) and BPA.12 With a $2.2m investment from NCRIS 
and matching contributions from the Queensland 
(QLD) Government and UQ,13 the facility specialises 
in deep molecular characterisation of strains within 
instrumented bioreactors, aiming for comprehensive 
cellular understanding to enhance strain design. The 
primary objective is to evaluate strains in a controlled 
environment that simulates scale-up conditions, 
ensuring consistent performance in both laboratory 
and large-scale settings. IDEA Bio collaborates with 
Australian and international companies and research 
organisations to advance the development of new 
processes for fuels, chemicals, and food.14



Recent industry activities

Australian industry continues to be strengthened by an accelerated growth in synthetic 
biology capabilities, attracting over $363m in capital investments in the last three 
years, with agriculture and food applications still representing the largest share of 
both Australian-founded synthetic biology start-ups and capital investments raised.

At least 16 new synthetic biology enabled companies 
were founded in Australia since the start of 2021, marking 
the continuation of accelerated growth since 2018 
(see Figure 2). Most of these new companies have been 
spin-outs from universities and research organisations, 
with companies benefiting from the growing number 
of incubator and accelerator programs across Australia. 
The majority of emerging Australian companies are focused 
on one of the two largest global markets: agriculture and 
food, or health and medicine. However, there is increasing 
activity in the environment and cleantech sector. 

Since 2021, mature start-ups have continued to 
scale onshore by attracting interest from local and 
international investors (see Case study 5, 6 and 7), with 
successful onshore scaling also facilitating their entry 
into international markets and access to international 
collaborations. There have also been instances of Australian 
companies partnering with offshore synthetic biology 
enabled companies to support their commercial scale‑up 
and entry into Australia. For example, the strategic 
collaboration between Australian company Woodside 
Energy and New Zealand founded and US based synthetic 
biology enabled carbon capture and transformation 
company LanzaTech.15 

At the same time, several mature Australian startups have 
relocated offshore for growth. For example, in 2022, 
Change Foods signed an agreement with KEZAD Group to 
design a commercial manufacturing plant in Abu Dhabi that 
would enable a greater distribution network to the Middle 
East and Asia Pacific region and in 2023, they transitioned 
their research and development hub from the QUT to 
Silicon Valley to get access to a larger network of research, 
development and technology hubs. 16 Another example is 
PYC Therapeutics, which relocated to the US in 2021 after 
identifying an active US biotechnology market where their 
technologies were of critical interest, and to transition 
operations to clinical-stage biotechnology.17

Substantial capital investments, including venture capital 
(VC), incubator and accelerator program funding, and 
business grants from domestic and international funders, 
have enabled the synthetic biology sector to consistently 
contribute to broader sectoral growth in Australian Industry 
(see Figure 3). Approximately $363m of capital funding 
was raised by 17 Australian-founded synthetic biology 
companies (31% of all active synthetic biology enabled 
companies) over the last three years.18 As most Australian 
synthetic biology enabled companies are still in their 
infancy, most funding is being raised through Early-Stage 
VC and Seed Funding rounds. The distribution of capital 
funding has predominantly supported companies in the 
agriculture and food sector ($290m over the three-year 
period), which aligns with the larger number of Australian 
start-ups operating in this area. 

Case study 5: Cauldron

Based in Orange, NSW, Cauldron provides bioproduction 
and fermentation services intended to help fermentation 
technology companies create sustainable food, feed, 
fibre, and fuel. Cauldron plans to build Asia-Pacific’s 
largest network of precision fermentation facilities 
to help develop and commercially scale new products 
and ingredients.19 To support this, in 2023, Cauldron 
raised $10.5m from local and global investors to fund 
the expansion of its existing pilot plant, build a national 
production network, and start establishing a unique 
and global commercial scale capability for precision 
fermentation. The funding round, led by MSV and Hong 
Kong’s Horizons Ventures, was oversubscribed and one 
of Australia’s largest seed rounds for a female-founded 
startup.20 Cauldron partnered with Boston Bioprocess 
in 2023 to further accelerate the industrial-scale 
production of Cauldrons fermentation technology.21 
In 2023, Cauldron also received $500,000 from the QLD 
government to conduct a feasibility study for developing 
a $300m world‑leading Future Foods BioHub facility in 
Mackay as part of the QLD 10-Year Biofutures Roadmap 
and Action Plan.22



Figure 2: Active Australian-founded synthetic biology 
companies, over time, stacked by sector.

Figure 3: Capital funds raised for Australian-founded synthetic 
biology companies, annually since 2021, by sector.

Case study 6: HydGene Renewables

HydGene Renewables, which spun out from Macquarie 
University, is engineering microorganisms with 
synthetic biology to produce hydrogen on-site from 
renewable plant material and biomass waste.23 
In 2021, it was awarded $1m from the Australian 
Government’s Business Research and Innovation 
Initiative to develop a proof-of-concept process 
to convert farm biomass waste into hydrogen. 
HydGene participated in the CSIRO ON Program and 
the AgriFutures evokeAG Startup Network program, 
which provided company building support ahead of 
its first seed investment round.24 In 2023, HydGene 
raised $6m in seed funding from an international 
consortium led by UK biotechnology venture capital 
firm Agronomics, accompanied by the Australian 
Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), Understorey 
Ventures and NOAB Ventures. These funds will be used 
to scale up production of its biocatalyst technology 
and expand its team.25 

Case study 7: Samsara Eco

Samsara Eco aims to recycle plastic waste for three 
key sectors (fashion, automotive and packaging), 
using synthetic biology to develop enzymes that 
break down plastics into its components. Since its 
founding in 2021, Samsara Eco has continued to scale 
up and has attracted a range of major Australian and 
international companies as customers and investors, 
including Woolworths, Tennis Australia, Lululemon 
and Kanematsu.26 In March 2022, Samsara Eco raised 
$6m in a funding round backed by CEFC, Woolworths 
Group’s W23 venture capital and growth fund, and 
MSV.27 In November 2022, Samsara Eco raised $54m 
in Series A funding which will help build Australia’s 
first Infinite Recycling Facility and research and 
development Hub within the Poplars Innovation 
Precinct at Jerrabomberra, NSW.28 The facility, expected 
to open in late 2024, will focus on accelerating 
Samsara Eco’s research and scaling up its technology 
for commercialisation.



Australia’s economic 
opportunity

With appropriate investment and support, Australia’s synthetic biology capabilities 
could underpin $30b of revenue annually and create over 50,000 new jobs by 2040.

This analysis provides market estimates for synthetic 
biology enabled revenue and jobs by the year 2040 across 
several Australian sectors, including agriculture and food, 
health and medicine, and other sectors. The latter includes 
applications in green technologies, industrial chemicals, 
energy and fuels, mining, and consumer products, which 
were unable to be broken down into discrete categories 
within this approach. 

Methodology

The methodology from the 2021 Roadmap was replicated,29 
focusing on the aspirational future (high market growth, 
high market share scenario), and using the most recent 
data available. A top-down approach to market sizing 
was employed. 

First, the global opportunity for synthetic biology by 
2040 was modelled based on recent market research 
reports (i). The global opportunity estimate was obtained 
by averaging parameter estimates published across 
different market research reports and aligning application 
categories.30 From this figure, Australia’s potential share 
of the global market was calculated using the original 
Roadmap assumptions (ii). The potential headcount 
employment for Australia was then calculated using an 
assumed ratio between wages and revenue in synthetic 
biology-enabled industries (iii). The calculations used are 
as follows:

(i) Global opportunity for synthetic biology by 2040 
= A x (1+B)19

(ii) Australia’s share of the synthetic biology market by 
2040 = A x (1+B)19 x C

(iii) Potential headcount employment for Australia by 2040 
= (A x (1+B)19 x C x D) / E

Table 1 displays the updated parameters used in the 
economic analysis.

Table 1: Updated economic analysis parameters31

AGRICULTURE 
AND FOOD

HEALTH AND 
MEDICINE

OTHER

TOTAL

A

Current estimate of global synthetic biology market (2021)32 

$1.4b

$5.8b

$4.6b

$11.8b

B

Forecast annual growth in global synthetic biology opportunity33 

31.7%

21.6%

23.7%

24.6%

C

Market share of synthetic biology captured by Australia by 204034 

4.5%

3.0%

4.0%

3.9%

D

Wages as a % of revenue for biotechnology in Australia by 204035 

28.2%

E

Average wage for workers in biotechnology in Australia by 204036 

$160,775







Results 

The analysis found that synthetic biology could underpin 
$29.6b in annual revenue and 51,950 new jobs by 2040 
(see Table 2). Compared to the 2021 Roadmap estimates,37 
the total global revenue potential, national revenue 
potential, and national employment potential for synthetic 
biology have all increased. It was previously estimated 
that global and national revenue could reach $697.4b and 
$27.2b by 2040, respectively, with potential of producing 
44,070 domestic jobs. This increase in results is driven by 
the current global market estimate (Parameter A) nearly 
doubling since the Roadmap. 

These updated results imply a more even distribution of 
potential across sectors. Sensitivity analysis shows that, 
for all parameters, variation in the forecast annual growth 
rate (Parameter B) has the greatest influence on results.38 

Agriculture and food: It was previously estimated that 
national revenue and employment could reach $19.3b 
and 31,210 jobs by 2040. Despite a reduction in expected 
national revenue to 12.0b and employment potential to 
20,980 jobs for agriculture and food applications, this 
sector remains the largest and most mature synthetic 
biology sector for Australia, with the highest global 
annual growth projections (Parameter B) of the sectors. 
The reduction in expected national estimates is driven by 
a readjustment of market expectations for global growth 
projections to 2040 (Parameter B). 

Health and medicine: The national revenue for health and 
medicine applications remains as previously estimated 
at $7.2b, and the employment potential has grown from 
11,720 to 12,540 jobs by 2040. 

Other applications: It was previously estimated 
that national revenue and employment could reach 
$0.7b and 1,140 jobs by 2040. The global and national 
revenue potential for other applications has increased 
compared to Roadmap estimates, with national revenue 
expected to reach 10.5b and employment potential to 
18,430 jobs. This is supported by growth in local energy 
and cleantech focused start-ups identified in the Industry 
section of this report. This increase in estimates is driven by 
increases in global market estimates (Parameter A), forecast 
growth estimates (Parameter B), and domestic market share 
(Parameter C).

Table 2: Updated economic analysis results39

AGRICULTURE 
AND FOOD

HEALTH AND 
MEDICINE

OTHER

TOTAL

(i) Potential global revenue by 2040 

$265.8b 

$238.4b

$262.7b

$766.9b

(ii) Potential Australian revenue by 2040

$12.0b

$7.2b

$10.5b

$29.6b

(iii) Potential Australian jobs by 2040

20,980

12,540

18,430

51,950







Roadmap recommendations: 
recent progress

The 2021 Roadmap put forward 10 recommendations that 
were designed to set the foundations for a strong synthetic 
biology ecosystem by 2025. Table 3 summarises key 
investments and activities against these recommendations 
that have occurred since the Roadmap’s analysis.

The progress against these recommendations was rated as 
strong, moderate, or low. Ratings considered the collective 
investment amount against each recommendation as 
well as whether identified activities were specific to 
synthetic biology.

Overall, considerable progress has been made through 
targeted investments that support research translation, 
seed new businesses, and develop shared infrastructure. 
This has been driven by Federal and State governments. 
These investments have also been underpinned by shifts 
in policies and frameworks that include consideration of 
synthetic biology.

Less activity was identified for recommendations relating 
to attracting international businesses and enhancing 
international collaboration. This is also the case for 
efforts to strengthen foundational ecosystem enablers 
including leadership, governance, and skills.



Activities undertaken since 2021 that map to the 
Roadmap recommendations

ENABLING THEME

ROADMAP RECOMMENDATIONS

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Support research translation and seed new businesses through targeted 
investments and bio-incubator programs

1

Prioritise translation support for applications that 
can most quickly demonstrate commercial feasibility

Strong: Considerable progress has been made 
for translational support, driven by Federal and 
State government programs that prioritise research 
commercialisation and investing in infrastructure, including: 

• Australian Government – ARC Grant and Fellowship 
Programs (ongoing)
• Australian Government – Industry Growth Program 
(2023, $392m)
• Australian Government – ARC Industrial Transformation Research 
Program: Digital Bioprocess Development Hub (2021, $5m)
• Australian Government – Trailblazer Universities Program: 
Food and Beverage Accelerator (2022, $50m)
• Australian Government – Trailblazer Universities Program: 
Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (2022, $50m)
• Australian Government – NCRIS Program: Australian Genome 
Foundry (2021, $8.3m)
• Australian Government – NCRIS Program: Bioplatforms Australia 
(BPA) (2023, $55m) 
• Breakthrough Victoria – Jumar Bioincubator (in collaboration 
with CSL Limited, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and the 
University of Melbourne) (2023, $65m)
• NSW Government – Emerging Industry Infrastructure Fund (EIIF) 
for synthetic biology and biomanufacturing (2022, $6m)
• QLD Government – Biofutures Industry partnerships program 
(2021, $350m) 
• Victorian Government – mRNA Victoria Research Activation 
Program (2022, $21m)
• Victorian Government – mRNA Victoria Research Acceleration 
Fund (2023, $25m)


2

Establish bio-incubators to support the development 
of synthetic biology start-ups

Moderate: There is only one accelerator program that 
specifically targets synthetic biology: UNSW Founders 
Program Bio10x (2022). However, there is progress in the 
broader deep-tech space as public and private sectors have 
established incubators and affordable co‑working and 
laboratory spaces for start-ups that accept synthetic biology 
aligned companies. Access to these initiatives is still limited, 
due to their size, maturity, and acceptance criteria. These 
programs include:

• Blackbird Foundry (2022)
• Co-Labs (2021)
• CSIRO Innovate to Grow (ongoing)
• CSIRO Kick-Start (ongoing)
• CSIRO ON Program (ongoing)
• Jumar Bioincubator (2023)
• Tadpole Bio (ongoing)
• University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Deep Green Biotech 
Hub Innovation Challenge (2021)




ENABLING THEME

ROADMAP RECOMMENDATIONS

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Develop shared infrastructure to enable development and demonstration 
of synthetic biology applications

3

Support national biofoundries to develop 
their scale and capability

Strong: Further government investment into existing 
biofoundry facilities has supported scale and capability 
development across existing national biofoundries, and 
the establishment of a third national BioFoundry, including: 

• BPA and UQ support to establish IDEA Bio at the Australian 
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology as a national 
BioFoundry (2022, $2.5m)
• CSIRO support for CSRIO BioFoundry (2022)
• NCRIS support for the Australian Genome Foundry (in 
partnership with BPA) to expand offerings, enable better access 
and support startup translational programs (2022, $8.3m)
• NSW Government EIIF support for the Australian Genome 
Foundry (2022, $3.5m)


4

Develop pilot and demonstration-scale 
biomanufacturing facilities certified to work 
with GMOs

Moderate: There has been an increase in the number of 
GMO certified biomanufacturing facilities and a scale up 
of processes for some applications and start-up ventures. 
Examples include: 

• BASE mRNA facility – supported by UQ and Therapeutics 
Innovation Australia (NCRIS) (2021)
• Cauldron precision fermentation facilities (2023)
• Cauldron and Boston Bioprocess partnership (2023)
• QUT Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant (MRBPP) 
expansion (additional funding 2023)
• Samara Eco Infinite Recycling Facility and Research and 
Development Hub (2023)


ENABLING THEME

ROADMAP RECOMMENDATIONS

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Attract international businesses and talent to build critical mass 
and enhance international collaboration

5

Attract international businesses to establish 
commercial operations in Australia

Low: There have been limited outcomes in this space, 
despite some efforts to attract more businesses into 
Australia, including: 

• Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) – 
Global Australia Initiative (2021)
• Ginkgo Bioworks expansion into Australia with support from 
the mRNA Victoria Research Activation Program (2022)
• LanzaTech and Woodside strategic collaboration (2022)
• Research and Development Tax Incentive (Updated 2021)
• The Translational Science Hub partnership between Sanofi, 
QLD Government, UQ and Griffith University (2022)


6

Attract leading international researchers and 
strengthen international research collaborations

Moderate: The University sector, and some mature 
start-ups, have successfully recruited international talent 
onshore. Australia is also participating in a range of 
global discussions and forums that may facilitate research 
collaborations in time, and it has committed to activities 
to strengthen international collaborations, including:

• Global BioFoundry Alliance – Australian Genome Foundry, 
Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 
and CSIRO BioFoundry members (ongoing activities)
• Synthetic Biology Australasia (SBA) – SBA-SINERGY joint events 
(2022, 2023)
• SBA International conference (2023)
• The Yeast 2.0 Project members (ongoing activities)
• Global Future Council on the Future of Synthetic Biology 
membership (2021) 
• Quad Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group (2021)




ENABLING THEME

ROADMAP RECOMMENDATIONS

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Strengthen foundational ecosystem enablers including leadership, 
governance, skills, and collaboration

7

Establish a national bioeconomy leadership 
council to advise government strategy

Low: Not established. However, research 
organisations are leading coordination and advocacy 
activities to build momentum and connect community 
with decision makers. Synthetic biology is also 
being incorporated into government policies and 
strategic plans, including:

• Australian Government Critical Technologies Policy 
Coordination Office – Critical Technologies Discussion Papers 
(Health and Agriculture) (2023)
• Australian Government Department of Education – 
National Innovation and Science Agenda (2022)
• Australian Government Department of Education – National 
Research Infrastructure Roadmap and Strategic Framework 
and Research Infrastructure Investment Plan (2021)
• Australian Government Department of Health – Biotechnology 
in Australia Strategic Plan for Health and Medicine (2022)
• Global Bioeconomy Alliance initiated by UQ and international 
partner universities (2021)
• NSW Government – 20-Year NSW Research and Development 
Roadmap (2022)
• QLD Government – QLD Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap 
and Action Plan (Updated 2022)


8

Maintain the safe and equitable governance 
of synthetic biology applications

While this recommendation requires consultation to fully 
assess (out of scope for this report), there is some evidence 
of Australian governance activities, including: 

• CSIRO publication of Access and Benefit-Sharing for Australian 
Synthetic Biologists: A Tool for Risk Management (2023)
• Australian Government Office of the Gene Technology Regulator 
(OGTR) ongoing activities regarding international harmonisation 
and regulation, and ongoing regulatory duties related to the 
maintenance and modernisation of legislation and governance 
for synthetic biology applications.


ROADMAP RECOMMENDATIONS

RECENT ACTIVITIES

9

Invest in growing foundational skills across 
economic, digital, and social sciences alongside 
biophysical sciences

Moderate: Several universities have introduced courses 
or majors at undergraduate and postgraduate level to 
develop foundational synthetic biology skills, including: 

• Australian National University (ANU) – ANU Synbio Challenge 
Team Project (Undergraduate)
• Deakin University – Synthetic Biology (Undergraduate)
• Flinders University – Bioengineering/Synthetic Biology 
and Human Disease Biology (Masters)
• Griffith University – Law and Synthetic Biology 
(Undergraduate/Masters/Juris Doctor)
• UQ – Synthetic Biology and Industrial Biotechnology 
(Undergraduate/Masters)
• University of Western Australia – Synthetic Biology: 
Solving Global Challenges (Masters)


10

Develop and strengthen local industry-research 
collaborations to build capability, share knowledge, 
and increase employment pathways for graduates

Moderate: In addition to programs that bring together 
research and industry (see Recommendations 1 and 2), the 
government has supported collaboration through research 
grants and programs, including: 

• ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology (2021, $35m)
• ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology: Find a 
Researcher/Expert Directory (FRED) program (2023)
• ARC Centre of Excellence for Plants for Space (2021, $35m)
• ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and 
Agriculture (2021, $35m)
• ARC Centre of Excellence for the Mathematical Analysis 
of Cellular Systems (2022, $35m)
• ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub (2021, $5m)
• ARC Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s 
Bioactives (2021, $5m)
• CSIRO Advanced Engineering Biology FSP (2022, $25m)




Call to action

The 2021 Roadmap envisioned that by 2040 synthetic 
biology would underpin a thriving Australian bioeconomy, 
creating new jobs and economic growth, enhancing 
competitiveness in key industries, and addressing critical 
environmental and health challenges. The pathway to 
2040 requires building and sustaining activity for all 
10 recommendations, which aim to set the foundations 
for a strong synthetic biology ecosystem. 

While the recommendation mapping process identified 
strong progress against goals relating to translation 
support and infrastructure, less activity was identified 
for attracting international collaboration and talent, and 
strengthening synthetic biology leadership, governance, 
and skills. Investment across all 10 recommendations, as 
well as assessing the effectiveness of discrete investments 
over time to inform future investments, will help to ensure 
Australia is well positioned to capture the value outlined in 
the 2040 vision. 

This report demonstrates that Australia is progressing well 
towards this future but more needs to be done. Sustained 
and nationally coordinated investments in synthetic biology 
will be critical to accelerating the commercial successes and 
real-world impacts of Australia’s maturing bioeconomy.



Endnotes

1 CSIRO Futures (2021) A National Synthetic Biology 
Roadmap: Identifying commercial and economic 
opportunities for Australia. CSIRO, Canberra.
<https://www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/services/
consultancy-strategic-advice-services/CSIRO-futures/
Future-Industries/Synthetic-Biology-Roadmap>.

2 Based on RGS Grant Search, GrantConnect, and Research 
Data Australia search results for grants awarded for 
synthetic biology related projects between 2021 and 2023.

3 Based on RGS Grant Search, GrantConnect, and Research 
Data Australia search results for grants awarded for 
synthetic biology related projects between 2021 and 2023.

4 Based on RGS Grant Search, GrantConnect, and Research 
Data Australia search results for grants awarded for 
synthetic biology related projects between 2018 and 2020.

5 Almendrades V, O’Malley M, (2021) ARC Centre of 
Excellence in Synthetic Biology 2021 Annual Report. 
<https://www.coesb.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/
ARC-CoE-in-Synthetic-Biology-AR-2021-FINAL.pdf>. 

6 Williams et al. (2023) Parallel laboratory evolution and 
rational debugging reveal genomic plasticity to S. cerevisiae 
synthetic chromosome XIV defects. Cell Genomics 3(11); 
ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (2023) 
Synthetic Chromosome Pushes the Scientific Boundaries. 
Viewed 13 November 2023, <https://www.coesb.com.au/
synthetic-chromosome-pushes-the-scientific-boundaries/>. 

7 Australian Government Department of Education 
(2022) Trailblazer Universities Program. <https://www.
education.gov.au/trailblazer-universities-program>.

8 Food and Beverage Accelerator. Viewed 13 November 
2023, <https://faba.au/>.

9 Deakin University: The Recycling and Clean Energy 
Commercialisation Hub (REACH). Viewed, 13 November 
2023, <https://www.deakin.edu.au/research/research-
partnerships/geelong-future-economy-precinct/reach>.

10 University of New South Wales Founders: Synbio 10x 
Accelerator. Viewed 13 November 2023, <https://
unswfounders.com/synbio10x-accelerator>.

11 University of New South Wales Founders: 
Meet our startups. Viewed 13 November 2023,
<https://unswfounders.com/our-startups>.

12 Integrated Design Environment for Advanced 
Biomanufacturing (IDEA BIO): Home. Viewed 13 
November 2023, <https://www.ideabio.org.au/>.

13 Bioplatforms Australia 2022 Annual Report. Viewed 
13 November 2023, <https://bioplatforms.com/wp-
content/uploads/2022/11/Bioplatforms-Annual-Report-
2022_%C6%92WEB.pdf>; Queensland Government 
Department of Environment and Science: Research 
Infrastructure Co-investment Fund (RICF). Viewed 
13 November 2023, <https://science.des.qld.gov.au/
industry/funding/ricf>.

14 Integrated Design Environment for Advanced 
Biomanufacturing (IDEA BIO): Projects. Viewed 13 
November 2023, <https://www.ideabio.org.au/projects>.

15 LanzaTech and Woodside Energy Announce Strategic 
Collaboration. Viewed 26 November 2023, <https://
lanzatech.com/lanzatech-and-woodside-energy-
announce-strategic-collaboration/>.

16 Change Foods (2022) Change Foods is Making Big Moves 
in the UAE. Cision PR Newswire, 22 October. <https://
www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/change-foods-is-
making-big-moves-in-the-uae-301655282.html>; Change 
Foods. Viewed 13 November 2023
<https://www.changefoods.com/>.

17 PYC Therapeutics. Viewed 13 November 2023,
<https://pyctx.com/>.

18 Based on publicly announced funding for synthetic 
biology enabled companies between 2021 and 2023. 
This data may be incomplete and is accurate as of 
1 December 2023. 

19 Cauldron. Viewed 13 November 2023, <https://www.
cauldronferm.com/>; Berry K (2023) Cauldron set to 
supercharge precision fermentation. Food&Drink: 
Business, 27 March. <https://www.foodanddrinkbusiness.
com.au/news/cauldron-set-to-supercharge-precision-
fermentation>.

20 Ettinger J (2023) Cauldron Raises AU$10.5 million to Scale 
Australia's Precision Fermentation ‘Fermaculture‘. Green 
Queen, 29 March. <https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/
cauldron-raises-10-5-million-for-precision-fermentation/>.

21 Khade, T (2023) Boston Bioprocess and Cauldron Partner 
to Help Fermentation-based Companies Scale from Lab to 
Manufacturing. Boston Bioprocess, 19 October. < https://
bostonbioprocess.com/news-announcements/boston-
bioprocess-and-cauldron-partner-to-help-fermentation-
based-companies-scale-from-lab-to-manufacturing>. 

22 Miles, S (2023) Mackay’s future economy set to dine 
out on Future Foods. The Queensland Cabinet and 
Ministerial Directory, 17 January. <https://statements.qld.
gov.au/statements/96962>. 

23 HydGene Renewables. Viewed 13 November 2023,
<https://hydgene.com/>.

24 Australian Government (2023) BRII Priority Sectors Round 
grant recipients. Viewed 13 November 2023 <https://
business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-research-
and-innovation-initiative/brii-priority-sectors-round-
grant-recipients>; Walsh H (2022) Green hydrogen 
solution for Australian agriculture, ready for investment. 
EvokeAg, 11 May. <https://www.evokeag.com/green-
hydrogen-australian-agriculture-investment/>.

25 HydGene Renewables: News Updates. 
Viewed 13 November 2023, <https://hydgene.com/news>.



26 Samsara Eco. Viewed 13 November 2023,
<https://www.samsaraeco.com/>.

27 Laird, K (2023) Enzymes enable infinite recycling: 
Australian Samsara Eco brings affordable circularity 
within reach. Sustainable Plastics 19 April. <https://www.
sustainableplastics.com/news/enzymes-enable-infinite-
recycling>.

28 Kopittke, M (2023) Samsara Eco to build $25 million 
R&D hub to take infinite recycling to the masses. 
SmartCompany, 1 September. <https://www.
smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news/samsara-eco-
25-million-research-development-hub-infinite-recycling-
plastic/>.

29 CSIRO Futures (2021) A National Synthetic Biology 
Roadmap: Identifying commercial and economic 
opportunities for Australia. CSIRO, Canberra.

 Agriculture and food: average of 2021 revenue category 
estimates of sum of ‘food and beverage’ and ‘agriculture’ 
from BCC Publishing, ‘agriculture’ from Frost & Sullivan, 
and ‘food and agriculture’ from Technavio.

 Health and medicine: average of 2021 revenue category 
estimates of ‘healthcare’ from BCC Publishing, ‘smart 
therapeutics’ from Frost & Sullivan, and ‘healthcare’ 
from Technavio.

 Other: average of 2021 revenue category estimates of 
sum of ‘research’, ‘industrial chemicals’ and ‘consumer 
products’ from BCC Publishing, ‘micro/nanotechnology’, 
‘environment’, ‘biosecurity’ and ‘renewable energy’ from 
Frost & Sullivan, and ‘industrial’ and ‘other applications’ 
from Technavio.

30 BCC Publishing 2022, Synthetic biology: global markets.; 
Frost & Sullivan 2019, Emerging opportunities in 
synthetic biology platforms.; Technavio 2023, Global 
synthetic biology market 2023-2027.

31 All monetary figures are presented in nominal terms, 
and all CAGR and wage growth estimates are assumed to 
include the impacts of inflation.

 Agriculture and food: average of 2021 revenue category 
estimates of sum of ‘food and beverage’ and ‘agriculture’ 
from BCC Publishing, ‘agriculture’ from Frost & Sullivan, 
and ‘food and agriculture’ from Technavio.

 Health and medicine: average of 2021 revenue category 
estimates of ‘healthcare’ from BCC Publishing, ‘smart 
therapeutics’ from Frost & Sullivan, and ‘healthcare’ 
from Technavio.

 Other: average of 2021 revenue category estimates of 
sum of ‘research’, ‘industrial chemicals’ and ‘consumer 
products’ from BCC Publishing, ‘micro/nanotechnology’, 
‘environment’, ‘biosecurity’ and ‘renewable energy’ from 
Frost & Sullivan, and ‘industrial’ and ‘other applications’ 
from Technavio. 

 RBA Historical Data – Exchange Rates, Series ID: FXRUSD, 
USD$1=AUD$1.29 from Jan 2000 – Dec 2020.

32 BCC Publishing 2022, Synthetic biology: global markets.; 
Frost & Sullivan 2019, Emerging opportunities in 
synthetic biology platforms.; Technavio 2023, Global 
synthetic biology market 2023–2027.

33 BCC Publishing 2022, Synthetic biology: global markets.; 
Frost & Sullivan 2019, Emerging opportunities in 
synthetic biology platforms.; Technavio 2023, Global 
synthetic biology market 2023–2027.

 Australia’s assumed market shares of the global synthetic 
biology opportunity remain unchanged from the 
original modelling, as these were guided by an expert 
consultation process which was not repeated for this 
shorter re-estimation exercise. These market shares were 
assumed for ‘agriculture and food’, ‘health and medicine’ 
and ‘total’ applications, and market share for ‘other’ 
applications was then calculated based on the ratio of 
potential Australian revenue to potential global revenue 
for ‘other’ applications, leading to a variation from 
the Roadmap. 

34 CSIRO Futures (2021) A National Synthetic Biology 
Roadmap: Identifying commercial and economic 
opportunities for Australia. CSIRO, Canberra.

 The ratio of wages to revenue for Australian 
biotechnology was used as a proxy from a comparable 
industry to estimate the relationship between wages and 
revenue in synthetic biology. A ten-year average of wages 
as a proportion of revenue from 2020–21 to 2029–30 was 
calculated from IBISWorld projections.

35 IBISWorld 2023, X0001 Biotechnology in Australia 
Industry Report.

 Average wages in Australian biotechnology are currently 
over $130,000, with annual wages projected to grow at 
a 0.9% annual average from 2020–21 to 2029–30. This 
wage growth rate was used to grow the average wage 
estimate out to 2040. 

36 IBISWorld 2023, X0001 Biotechnology in Australia 
Industry Report.

37 CSIRO Futures (2021) A National Synthetic Biology 
Roadmap: Identifying commercial and economic 
opportunities for Australia. CSIRO, Canberra. 

38 Sensitivity analysis investigated how an increase or 
decrease in each parameter by 20%, holding all other 
parameters constant, changed the results. 

39 All monetary figures are presented in nominal terms. 
Any discrepancies in summations are due to differences 
in rounding.



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