Abstrakt

Modern biotechnology is the processing of biomass into innovative bio-based products and using the unique properties of living organisms to obtain valuable biomaterials or modify standard organisms/materials. This chapter focuses on the importance and applications of biotechnology worldwide throughout history. It begins with a discussion of the history and evolution of biotechnology before going on to define all the separate branches of modern biotechnology. Then, referring to the biotechnology colour code, it discusses examples of applications of green and white biotechnology in the bioeconomy, considering the use of genetically modified organisms and bioproducts in agriculture (green) and applications of biotechnology in industry for the production of biopolymers and renewable energy (white). The conclusion is that the bioeconomy would not have been created and could not have developed without the contributions that biotechnology has made to sustainable development.