[News Terms] Technology That Turns the Earth White, 'White Bio'

'White Biotechnology' refers to technology that produces biofuels, bioplastics, and other products by utilizing renewable plant resources such as corn and sugarcane, or by using microorganisms and enzymes.

The bioindustry is broadly categorized into three "colors." Red Biotechnology refers to the medical and pharmaceutical fields, Green Biotechnology to agriculture, food, and resource sectors, and White Biotechnology to energy and chemical sectors. As biotechnology has advanced, its application scope has expanded, leading to growth in the bioindustry in the order of Red, Green, and White Biotechnology. According to the Korea Bioindustry Association, the domestic bioindustry market size in 2022 was 14.1934 trillion KRW. Red Biotechnology accounted for 37.5%, White Biotechnology 25.8%, and Green Biotechnology 14.2%.

On the morning of the 10th of last month, a visitor is listening to an explanation of an exhibit at '2024 BioPlus Interphex Korea' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

White Biotechnology is a technology that replaces the traditional petrochemical industry with environmentally friendly alternatives. Instead of traditional fossil fuels such as crude oil and natural gas, it mainly uses biomass derived from plant resources as raw materials and produces various chemical products through biological processes. Biomass refers to living organisms such as plants, animals, and microorganisms that undergo photosynthesis using sunlight. Broadly, it also includes organic byproducts and waste such as rice straw, sewage sludge, and livestock manure. Utilizing biomass as a raw material reduces dependence on crude oil and can drastically cut emissions of various environmental pollutants.

A representative material produced using White Biotechnology is 'bioplastic.' Bioplastics are broadly divided into 'biodegradable plastics' and 'biomass plastics.' Using biodegradable plastics is expected to reduce the environmental burden caused by conventional plastic waste. For example, food waste bags made from biodegradable plastics can be composted together with their contents under certain conditions. Biomass plastics have very low carbon emissions, making them useful from the perspective of carbon emission reduction.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the global bioplastics market is expected to grow 34% over five years, from $2.9 billion (approximately 3.97 trillion KRW) in 2018 to $3.9 billion (approximately 5.34 trillion KRW) in 2023. In line with this, the government has taken steps to develop and expand the distribution of bioplastics. Following the confirmation of the 'White Biotechnology Industry Activation Strategy' in December 2020, in April 2021, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy led the launch of the 'White Biotechnology Cooperative Council,' involving 10 bio and chemical companies and related organizations.

[Photo by Pixabay]

White Biotechnology is expected to grow rapidly as the importance of addressing the climate crisis and environmental conservation increases. According to a report published in 2021 by Adroit Market Research, an Indian market research firm, the global White Biotechnology industry market size is projected to grow annually by 11.5% from 2021, reaching $479.9 billion (approximately 629 trillion KRW) by 2027.

In fact, major countries worldwide are making mid- to long-term plans to lead the bioeconomy era, revising related laws and regulations, and focusing on fostering the bioindustry and securing supply chains. The United States enacted the Biotechnology Promotion Act in 2019. In 2022, President Biden issued an executive order titled the 'National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative,' aimed at strengthening domestic production of the bioindustry. Japan established the 'Bio Strategy 2019,' aiming to realize the world's most advanced bioeconomy society by 2030.