MITRE Chief of Technology Officer testifies in bioeconomy hearing
On March 7, Dr. Charles Clancy, the Chief Technology Officer of New England Council member, MITRE, testified in front of the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The hearing focused on the bioeconomy, specifically the biotechnology industry and the national security risks that come with it.
Dr. Clancy delved into the U.S.’s competition with China in staying ahead on biotech. He discussed the various ways MITRE is working to grow the American biotech industry, such as the development of a BioNet, a synthetic biology ecosystem. Dr. Clancy also suggested several methods Congress can use to protect national security and take charge of the biomanufacturing space. These methods include standardizing interfaces to diversify supply chains, creating more public-private sector partnerships, establishing a “clearing house” within the Department of Justice to work with universities and laboratories to perform personnel screening, working with European allies to build out the bioeconomy, and providing extra funding for the NIST Biostandards Program.
“We’re sitting at an inflection point where our understanding of cellular biology offers huge potential to fundamentally transform society for the better. But we’re also in a global competition and need to align policies and resources, and plug security holes, to be successful,” said Dr. Clancy.
The New England Council commends Dr. Clancy and MITRE for contributing valuable insights to our lawmakers and continuing their innovative work.
Watch the full hearing here and read MITRE’s press release here.