La biotecnología y las Industrias de Ingredientes Alimentarios en Argentina

Since the 90’s, the development and diffusion of modern biotechnology techniques based in rDNA, along with traditional technologies of fermentation and enzyme production, and the major organizational changes in large agrofood firms facing new competitive challenges, boost restructuring and reconfiguration in the food industries. In this new scenario, the food ingredients firms are expected to play a key and strategic role, as generator and diffuser of technological change among food industries. The emergent generic technologies offer great opportunities to Argentina, considering its important and competitive agrofood sector. Specialized firms, providing knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are the interface players between science based firms and industrial users. This paper explores the new role of food ingredients firms in Argentina and inquires into the local potentialities of the modern biotechnologies.