The Turkish Health Institutes Directorate ("Directorate") has announced establishment of the Biotechnology Institute ("Institute"). The Institute will include a range of Scientific Boards, focusing on Genome and Bioinformatics, Vaccines, Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Products, Biomedical and Medical Devices, Microbiology-Immunology and Infectious Diseases, as well as Fermentation and Cell Cultures. The Scientific Boards will meet at least four times per year to make decisions about the Institute's science policy, as well as consider R&D projects.
The Regulation on Organization and Operation of the Turkish Biotechnology Institute ("Regulation") was published in Official Gazette number 30257 on 1 December 2017, entering into force on the same date.
The Regulation outlines the Institute's structure, duties, authorizations, as well as operation methods and principles. Accordingly, the Institute's primary duties and authorizations are to:
- Conduct R&D activities in the biotechnology field, as well as to give financial or scientific support to these activities.
- Provide the manufacture and use of products which are developed by R&D activities regarding diagnosis, treatment and protection.
- Provide consulting services and give recommendations within its field.
- Present offers about establishment of institutions such as techno parks, incubators, technology transfer offices etc..
- Use the public and private biotechnology resources to support collaboration.
- Work on determination of the primary national policies for biotechnology.
- Conduct field research or R&D activities as requested by Health Ministry and affiliated institutions.
The Institute's President will present the Institute's decisions to the head of the Directorate.
Scientific Boards will each consist of the Institute's President, plus six to ten members. However, Scientific Boards for Genome and Bioinformatics, as well as Vaccine, can include up to 30 members.
Please see this link for the full text of the Regulation (only available in Turkish).
Information first published in the MA | Gazette, a fortnightly legal update newsletter produced by Moroğlu Arseven.
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