Biotechnology as a Driving Force for Regional Development: Opportunities and Challenges for the Brazilian Amazon

The main objective of this article is to analyse the development of Amazon region through biotechnological activities. Amazonia, by virtue of its tremendous biodiversity, has excellent possibilities of meeting a growing market for biotechnological products, being that the development of this sector demands not only abundant natural resources, but also the existence of an institutional environment that is able to integrate productive activities with research on science and technology. The promotion of regional development, thus, depends on the configuration, which, according to Boisier, is composed by six elements, present in all regions that interact with each other. The article concludes that Amazonian development is directly related to the participation capability of many segments of society for the development of biotechnological activities, in which the State should play an important role in drawing up policies towards the biotechnological sector and, at the same time, in setting up participation channels for the relationship among actors.