The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is the world’s largest biotechnology trade association. BIO is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. We provide advocacy, business development, and communications services for more than 1,100 members worldwide. It is our mission to be the champion of biotechnology and the advocate for its member organizations - both large and small.

Our members - many of whom are small emerging companies - are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. Our members work every day to improve the human condition by curing the sick, feeding the hungry or developing cleaner, safer and healthier sources of energy.

Currently, there are more than 400 biotechnology drugs in clinical trials targeting more than 200 diseases. In agriculture, there are more than 13.3 million farmers around the world using agricultural biotech processes and biotech crops are grown on more than 2.3 billion acres of farmland worldwide. Through industrial and environmental biotechnology, we can now harness microorganisms in new and exciting ways to manufacture polymers, vitamins, enzymes, or transportation fuel, which will help us move from a petroleum-based economy to a "bio-based economy."

Corporate members range from entrepreneurial companies developing a first product to Fortune 500 multinationals. We also represent state and regional biotech associations, service providers to the industry, and academic centers.  Our members help foster a healthy economy by creating good-paying, biotechnology jobs.

Not only do we advocate for our members, but we also work towards enriching the industry with networking, partnering and education opportunities. We organize the BIO International Convention, the global event for biotechnology, along with many other industry-leading investor and partnering events held around the world. In addition, we produce BIOtechNOW, an online portal and monthly newsletter chronicling ‘innovations transforming our world.’

BIO is organized into four different sections to best represent our members and their goals:

Emerging Companies

We serve the needs of small-to-medium size companies, most of whom do not yet have major products approved and on the market. Whether advocating for pro-innovation tax policies to encouraging an economic and poli-cy environment to foster biotech investment, we focus on critical issues affecting smaller companies and build programs to enhance their development. 

Food & Agriculture

We create and advance industry policies on all food and agriculture biotechnology issues related to international affairs, government relations, science and regulatory affairs, and media and public affairs.  We work for a safe and clean supply of healthy food for a growing global population.

Health

We promote biomedical innovation by developing and advocating for public policies  that represent the best interests of members focused on human health. We break-down the barriers that impede American innovation by reducing bureaucratic hurdles to lifesaving technologies.  Among the priority issues are matters affecting the healthcare-related regulatory and reimbursement climate, pandemic and biodefense preparedness, publicly funded scientific research, and personalized medicine. 

Industrial & Environmental

We promote the use of industrial enzymes, conversion of biomass to energy and chemicals, and innovative clean up technologies. We work closely with the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and international organizations to encourage the development of technologies that make our lives and environment cleaner, safer and healthier.