By Isobel Ashbey, Head of Biodiversity and Nature Tech, Cambridge Consultants, Capgemini Invent & Marie-Neige Couriaut ,Vice President in the Global Sustainability Services team, Capgemini Group
Biodiversity loss is increasingly understood to put industries under threat. According to Capgemini, a promising solution to protecting both businesses and the planet lies at the nexus of nature and tech: engineering biology. Innovations across sectors are already harnessing the unlimited potential of biosolutions.
The last few years have seen a steady progression on sustainability within business. Organizations have improved in circularity, measurement and data sharing, social sustainability, and more. However, the biggest threats to business and industry still need to be addressed. Among them is the deterioration of Earth’s biodiversity.
In the past 50 years, wildlife populations have declined by almost 70%.[1] We are already trying to address this, namely through the pledge by world leaders at last year’s 15th Conference of Parties to being “nature positive” (actively restoring biodiversity) by 2030.[2] Committing to this goal means drastically changing our current trajectory. It means disrupting entire sectors, reimagining our business practices, and driving innovation. And there’s much work to do: Capgemini research shows that only 20% of organizations have assessed the impact their supply chain and operations have on biodiversity.[3]
At Capgemini, we believe that technology is the answer – and at the convergence of nature and tech lies engineering biology (or bioengineering). Biosolutions can mean reduced pollution, waste, and emissions. They can also improve product performance and safety, and reduce resource-dependence and the risk of supply chain disruptions. And it’s not a utopian dream: 96% of organizations surveyed by Capgemini are already pursuing these solutions.
Biodiversity under threat = business under threat
Why, apart from sustainability reporting requirements, are businesses concerned with Earth’s declining biodiversity? Because the backbone of our economy is not money or trade; it is nature. As our economic growth skyrockets, so do our demands for energy, food, water, and other resources. Without biodiversity, these services we take for granted from the ecosystem fail. Biodiversity shapes everything from natural resources to climate change – it is the key to a sustainable future for businesses worldwide.[4]
Humans are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths in natural resources – a figure ecosystems cannot hope to keep up with naturally.[5] Vibrant ecosystems support our growing population with food, water, health, and security[6] – as a result, of the world’s estimated 8 million species of plants and animals, one million are threatened with extinction by human activities.[7]
Biodiversity is threatened both on land and in water, with agriculture, fishing and water-intensive industries disrupting wildlife through the depletion of habitats and resources like water. Indeed, water is a key resource under threat, but change may be ahead. In our research for one of Capgemini’s latest reports on sustainability trends across organizations, we found that water-intensive industries are increasingly focused on water stewardship. Some have even committed to becoming “water positive” by 2030, offsetting the large quantities of water used in their operations.[8]
Incremental progress is underway – but at their current trajectories, declines in biodiversity will cut progress toward most of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to poverty, hunger, health, water cities, climate, oceans, and land. This depletion of nature can only be broken by system-wide change. And we can all do our part. Businesses can become aware of their dependence – and impact – on biodiversity. Leaders can uncover new sustainable market opportunities. Industries can shift to sustainable operations.
Innovations can come from anywhere. Most organizations – 96% of those surveyed by Capgemini for our new report on engineering biology – are already pursuing biosolutions. Four in ten are still at an exploratory stage, but more than half are already experimenting or scaling deployments. Even more encouragingly, corporate investment in engineering biology looks set to steadily increase, driven by sustainability concerns.
What is ‘Engineering Biology’? Solutions at the Nexus of Nature and Tech
Engineering biology uses data-driven techniques and tech like AI to invent or redesign biological systems. Bioengineers can modify microbes for industrial production, for example, edit crop genes for agricultural transformation, and redesign human cells for medical purposes. Some 72% of executives polled by Capgemini believe that bio-solutions can contribute greatly to sustainability goals.
Sustainable materials and packaging and bio-solutions for waste management have the greatest potential impact, executives say – across industries. Healthcare, energy, mining, water, automotives, agriculture – virtually every sector is touched by bioengineering. By transforming biology into data and programs, engineering biology can address problems impossible to solve with conventional means. The opportunities are virtually unlimited.
However, to truly be classed as ‘sustainable,’ bio-solutions must be harnessed responsibly. While executives expect them to have a positive impact on climate change and plastic and air pollution, they are less certain of a positive impact on deforestation, soil health, and water scarcity. The impact bio-solutions have on the environment must also be assessed throughout the product lifecycle. Our research has shown market adoption is driven by sustainability, performance, and cost efficiency. Only with all these criteria satisfied will we see industrial-scale adoption of bio-solutions.
Innovations in Every Industry
Capgemini research shows that executives across industries believe digital technologies will be crucial to implementing bio-solutions. Technologies including AI and digital twins have the potential to reduce costs, optimize processes, and shorten time-to-market for bio-solutions. They can also help companies understand and mitigate environmental risks, and scale up operations.
The most significant technology in developing bio-solutions may be generative AI (gen AI). Initial results across various industries suggest that Gen-AI driven simulation and modeling can radically increase the efficiency of R&D. AI-led engineering biology can also significantly reduce development costs. This makes bio-solutions more financially feasible and therefore more attractive to businesses.
Quantum computing is another technology that can accelerate R&D processes. Protein development, for instance, is an exciting bio-solution with applications across industries (drug development, agriculture, industrial processes, and more.). While classical computers have trouble accurately simulating the necessary molecular interactions, quantum computers can do so easily.
Digital twins are also driving efficiency in engineering biology. This technology may prove crucial in modeling bioproduction processes, enabling bioengineers to digitally simulate what would normally be cost- and time-intensive experiments. With digital twins, bioengineers can translate low-volume lab results to high-volume bioproduction. This allows for faster and less resource-intensive production scale-up.
Engineering biology is most commonly associated with the healthcare, food, and agriculture industries – but applications exist in virtually every industry. However, case studies of specific applications help to paint the picture of just how broad the reach of this solution could be.
Agriculture
Agricultural researchers are exploring alternatives to the energy-intensive Haber Bosch process for fertilizer production.[9] One avenue is to develop nitrogenase enzymes to mimic the nitrogen fixation process in plants. While classical computers struggle to simulate the complex molecular interactions in this process, quantum computers, on the other hand, are powerful enough to do it and do it accurately.
Farmers are also harnessing AI for precision agriculture. AI systems analyze data from sensors, drones, and satellites to provide farmers with guidance on irrigation, fertilization, and pest management.[10] This way, farmers avoid overusing water, fertilization, and pesticides – lowering their environmental impact.
Biomanufacturing
We’ve also seen biomanufacturing companies harnessing AI, to reduce unit costs and ramp up productivity. For example, US-based Pow.bio has integrated AI-controlled software into its continuous fermentation system – this has already reduced commercial costs by two-thirds. It has also significantly increased productivity, compared to traditional models.[11]
As for digital twins, labs at the National University of Singapore are using them for insight into large-scale bioproduction in bioreactors. With these model-driven approaches, researches can compare many different conditions digitally. They can evaluate the simulated processes and identify ideal operating conditions.[12] Ultimately, this reduces the need for expensive and time-consuming experiments, driving the speed of innovation.
Consumer products
Companies like Unilever and Microsoft are already exploring the use of quantum computing. Their primary goal is to accelerate research and development processes. They believe quantum computing has the potential to cut the time it takes to discover new materials from years to months – or even weeks.[13]
Unilever has also partnered with protein-design company Arzeda to design new proteins and enzymes using AI. These will be used to develop sustainable, high-performance cleaning products.[14] These digital resources allow companies to accelerate their processes and innovate on a much faster timeline.
Energy
Organizations in the energy sector are making sustainable biofuels via engineering biology – with the help of AI. Companies in the US are leveraging AI alongside first-principles physics models to develop carbon-consuming bacteria capable of converting carbon emissions into biofuels, at an industrial scale[15]
AI is also being used for optimizing energy waste and consumption management in all industries. AI-powered systems can analyze usage patterns, identify areas of improvement, and suggest alternative tools and processes. Utilizing intelligent, automated energy management and localized storage solutions can help organizations cut emissions and contribute to a greener future. [16]
Healthcare
Advances in quantum computing applied to engineering biology are also driven by innovations in and for healthcare. Some organizations are using quantum computing to predict the structure of large proteins in the human body.[17] Quantum computing offers far greater accuracy than classical computers for this vital research.
Other organizations are developing AI-generated large language models (LLMs) to accelerate innovation. Our latest report highlights the example of biotechnology company Ginkgo Bioworks, which has data assets comprising over 2 billion unique protein sequences.[18] A foundational model could be trained on this data, to enable generative protein design and protein-sequence optimization. The possible applications for this tool are enormous.
Building a Sustainable Future Together
Biosolutions are leaders in a new era of innovation and sustainability. Applicable to a wide range of industries, these varied, cost-effective, sustainable solutions are already in widespread use. Effective implementation, however, is not a quick or easy process. Unlocking the true potential for sustainable biosolutions requires deliberate action.
Companies must measure environmental impacts across the product lifecycle and redesign it accordingly to ensure sustainability. Biosolutions also need to compete effectively with conventional alternatives on the market, particularly regarding performance and cost. Systemic, social, and ethical barriers must be addressed. This will take a collective, coordinated approach across public and private sectors, including academia – and it’s already starting. Unlocking the unlimited potential of biosolutions could transform our future, delivering solutions to boost the economy and protect the planet.
For detailed recommendations on engineering biology and more, refer to the Capgemini Research Institute’s report “Unlocking the potential of engineering biology: The time is now.” Visit our website to download the report for more insights on business and sustainability in 2024 and beyond.
About Capgemini
As a leading strategic partner to companies around the world, Capgemini has leveraged technology to enable business transformation for more than 50 years. They address the entire breadth of business needs, from strategy and design to managing operations. To do this, the company draws on deep industry expertise and a command of the fast-evolving fields of cloud, data artificial intelligence, connectivity, software, digital engineering, and platforms.
Marie-Neige Couriat
Marie-Neige Couriaut is a VP in the Global Sustainability Services team from Capgemini Group. She is in charge of the acceleration of sustainability solutions for all their biggest clients, in all the industries. She also monitors the ecosystem of partners to support technological innovation in the sustainability field, with whom she launches new solutions such as in 2023 a circular economy in the aerospace sector.
She has a strong focus on agriculture and agritech, published a point of view on technology for biodiversity with a partner in 2022. She started her career in a construction company where she was notably in charge of land rehabilitation. She holds a PhD in economics and history from the École Nationale des Chartes and recently received the Exeter University training for sustainability.
Isobel Ashbey
Head of Biodiversity and Nature Tech, Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini Invent Isobel is a technologist with 9 years’ experience in building deep tech solutions to solve challenges and unlock competitive advantage for companies across the Consumer and Energy sectors. Having recently studied Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health at the University of Edinburgh, she now brings her technical expertise to the Nature Tech arena. She believes that innovation is crucial across all sectors to turn around our impact on nature, and that deep tech will be a key enabler of that transition
Reference
1 WWF, “Living Planet Report 2022 – Building a nature- positive society,” October 2022.
2 Convention on Biological Diversity, “COP15: Final text of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” December 2022.
3 Capgemini, “Only 24% of organizations have a biodiversity strategy in place,” September 2023.
4 European Business & Biodiversity Platform, retrieved from https://green-business.ec.europa.eu/business-and-biodiversity
5 UN Enviornment Programme, “Becoming #GenerationRestoration: Ecosystem Restoration for People, Nature and Climate,” June 2021.
6 UN Enviornment Programme, “Becoming #GenerationRestoration: Ecosystem Restoration for People, Nature and Climate,” June 2021.
7 IPBES, “Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’,” May 2019.
8 One Water News, “Corporate giants pledge to become water positive” by 2030,” September 2023.
9 SynBioBeta, “Digital Twins to Advance Biomanufacturing,” February 2024.
10 Let’s Nurture, “Exploring the impact of generative AI in reducing environmental footprint,” June 10, 2023.
11 SynBioBeta, “Digital Twins to Advance Biomanufacturing,” February 2024; Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini Invent, “Fixing the digital twins dilemma – how deep tech can accelerate food bioprocessing,” retrieved from https://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/how-deep-techand-digital-twins-can-accelerate-food-bioprocessing/; SynBioBeta, “Reshaping Biomanufacturing with Intelligent Fermentation Technology,” October 2023; POW.BIO, “The future of biomanufacturing is continuous,” retrieved from https://www.pow.bio/
12 SynBioBeta, “Digital Twins to Advance Biomanufacturing,” February 2024.
13 Unilever, “Future R&D: How Unilever is transforming innovation with Microsoft,” June 2024; IoT World Today, “Unilever's Alberto Prado on Quantum Computing's Future, Impact on Emerging Tech,” June 2024.
14 Arzeda, “Unilever and Arzeda use AI to develop performance-boosting enzymes in record time for Unilever’s Home Care Products,” May 2023.
15 NREL, “NREL Launches Synthetic Biology Project to Advance Biofuel Discovery Technologies with LanzaTech, Northwestern, and Yale,” January 2023.
16 Let’s Nurture, “Exploring the impact of generative AI in reducing environmental footprint,” June 10, 2023.
17 SynBioBeta, “Digital Twins to Advance Biomanufacturing,” February 2024.
18 Ginkgo Bioworks, “Google and Ginkgo: Foundry-Scale Data Meets AI,” retrieved from https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/2023/08/29/google-and-ginkgo-foundry-scale-datameets-ai/; PR Newswire, “Ginkgo Bioworks and Google Cloud Partner to Build Next Generation AI Platform for Biological Engineering and Biosecurity,” August 2023.