Management of Bioeconomy, Innovation and Governance | School of Social and Political Science

MSc Management of Bioeconomy, Innovation and Governance

Applications for September 2024 entry are now closed. We expect to open applications for 2025 entry in October.

A message from the Programme Director

Welcome to the web page for the Masters in Management of Bioeconomy, Innovation and Governance (MSc BIG), an innovative and dynamic postgraduate qualification. Focusing on innovation in life sciences and biotechnology, and designed to meet the increasing demand for skilled people in the growing global bioeconomy, MSc BIG responds to a number of key challenges:

Identifying and exploiting value throughout innovation ecosystems
Bringing new biotechnology to existing and emerging markets
Developing sustainable innovation in a responsible manner

MSc BIG enables its graduates to take an active role in the workforce, contributing to development of the bioeconomy in industry, policy, regulatory, not-for-profit or academic capacities. Students learn how to respond to globally important challenges by contributing to innovative developments in, for example, healthcare, agriculture and other land uses, energy, industrial biotechnology and environmental remediation, in developed and developing economies. Our programme takes a qualitative approach and teaches customised methods to deal with complex issues ranging from foresight and innovation systems analysis, strategic decision making in companies, value chain analysis and business model development, product and process regulation, to ensuring ‘responsibility’ in research and innovation. Students also have the opportunity to write their dissertations on collaborations through work-based placements with organisations or companies involved in the bioeconomy.

Specific areas covered by the programme include:

agricultural biotechnology
sustainable food and animal production
synthetic biology
pharmaceuticals and antimicrobial resistance
regenerative medicine and cell therapies
stratified medicine
industrial biotechnology
genetic databases
biofuels and energy-related developments

Students benefit from the programme's unique position within the University. MSc BIG benefits from its strong association with the Innogen Institute - a research institute renowned for its interdiciplinary study of the life sciences, proximity to world-leading science and medicine, government, and key policymakers; and long-standing collaborations with commercial and not-for-profit sectors within the bioeconomy.

The programme is delivered by the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies (STIS) subject group within the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science, allowing students to take full advantage of the vibrant community at one of Europe's leading centres for social science research.

On behalf of the MSc BIG programme team, we look forward to hearing from you.

Structure

The MSc BIG programme is organised into 20-credit courses. Students will take 80 credits of core courses, plus 40 credits of optional courses. They will also be required to write a 15,000 word dissertation which is worth 60 credits.

Core Courses

Innovation Systems and Risk Management (20 credits)
This course is designed to introduce students to concepts and methods at the centre of contemporary studies of technological change and innovation including technological systems, industrial clusters and sectoral, regional, technological and national innovation systems. The focus is on the relationship amongst actors, institutions and linkages for innovation in different industrial sectors, and in different regions and nations. Students are taught how innovation can lead to emerging new risks, as a result, risk regulation is a fundamental component of virtually all scientific and technological fields, whilst also being intrinsic to a variety of social and economic processes. Key issues will include risk management processes; risk framing in specific risk fields; distribution of risks and benefits; planning for uncertainty and surprise in managing risk and technology solutions.

Delivering the Circular Economy and Bioeconomy (20 credits)
This course introduces the concept of the circular economy and the role of the bioeconomy in delivering it for applications in agriculture, health, energy and manufacturing sectors. It teaches a 'total systems approach' to managing the interactions across a broad range of components to deliver, where appropriate, a viable circular bioeconomy. It focuses on: the new scientific and technological developments that drive innovation in the circular bioeconomy; why and how they are being promoted by governments; how they are regulated and whether today's regulatory systems need to be better adapted to the needs of 21st century technologies; and how stakeholders' and citizens' views are taken into account.

Students will benefit from the experience of the lecturers in advising companies and policy makers about these issues, and from guest speakers with experience in industry and policy bodies, providing an ideal foundation for a career in these areas.

Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems (20 credits)
Ensuring food supplies in a sustainable and equitable manner in the face of climate change-driven events is one of the key challenges facing societies in the 21st century. While often posed as a production-led innovation challenge, at least as important are the societal contexts, including changing patterns of consumption. This course considers sustainable food systems and food security from a wide range of perspectives, examining farming as a social practice, as commercial food production, as a contribution and challenge to environmental policy, and as an integral part of sustainable and healthy consumption. Innovation is examined in both its scientific and social aspects.

Biobusiness (20 credits)
This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of and the ability to assess how innovation in the life sciences is changing production methods, industrial structures, market dynamics and strategic decision making.

Through the course we investigate, through recent and relevant case studies and examples, the systemic character of discoveries in the life sciences, developments in medical and information technology, advances in areas such as agro-bio, bio-fuels and bio-materials, and how these changes are reshaping the bioeconomy in critical fields such as healthcare and agriculture. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of specific contemporary matters such as structural change in pharmaceutical drug R&D, the emergence of new methods of knowledge and technology translation in the medical arena, and the variety of ways in which risk capital supports bio-related innovation.

Extra Curricular

The MSc program offers students various opportunities to visit and undertake work with industry partners through field trips and the work based dissertation.

Students who aim to leave the masters degree with practical entrepreneurial skills are encouraged to apply for the Edinburgh Enterprise Award Scheme. This scheme which is highly complementary and runs parallel to the MSc BIG programme, helps students to identify relevant skills and foster reflective practice. It is run by the Edinburgh Careers Service and Launch.ed.

Career opportunities

Basic scientific knowledge is no longer sufficient for building a successful career in the growing bioeconomy. There is a high demand for trained professionals in this area, and this degree is an opportunity to impress prospective employers in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors with expertise in life science innovation.

You may also choose to continue your studies and pursue an academic career in this rapidly growing field.

The transferable skills you gain in areas such as communication and research will give you an edge in the employment market, whatever your eventual career.

How to apply

Tuition fees

Award	Title	Duration	Study mode
MSc		1 Year	Full-time	Tuition fees
MSc		2 Years	Part-time	Tuition fees

Additional information

Personal Statements

Your personal statement is a key document which tells us about your expectations and preparation for study. We are looking for students who understand that the bioeconomy is knowledge based, where biotechnology innovation is impacting health, agriculture and industry. There are new platforms to consider (such as synthetic biology), new markets and new politics. We don’t expect students to have a comprehensive understanding of the biology, but we would like students to understand that we focus on the implications of biotechnology for society. While the term ‘bioeconomy’ has become synonymous with sustainability, at Edinburgh we take a broader view and consider a wider range of questions.

The programme takes a qualitative and interdisciplinary approach, borrowing from science and technology studies, innovation studies, political economy and sociology. In particular the course draws from work produced by the Innogen Institute, renowned for world-leading research with global impact on the social and economic aspects of the life sciences and emerging technologies. Students who are expecting to use quantitative approaches, econometrics and programming are likely to be disappointed.

The Management of Bioeconomy, Innovation and Governance is a conversion course, designed to help people change career direction. All disciplines are welcome, but applicants must show they have a personal interest in bioeconomy, rather than sustainability, finance or business management. The application has space for relevant training and experience and this space may therefore be used by applicants to reflect on what professional, academic or everyday lived experience they have in relation to the bioeconomy and its possible future.

Your personal statement should be focused and have substantive information about you and your ambitions on the programme. We do not advise using the space for vague statements that generally express a wish to study at Edinburgh. We strongly advise to undertake some reading from the recommended list below before preparing your personal statement and contact the programme director if you have any questions.

Reading recommendations

If you're looking to get started on some provisional reading before you arrive in Edinburgh, we recommend the following:

Mastroeni, M., Mittra, J., & Tait, J. (2019). Political influences on biotechnology-based innovation for European agriculture: risk-assessment and risk management. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management. 33 (3), 271-282. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/10.1080/09537325.2019.1573983.
Mittra, M. and Tait, J. (2012). Analysing stratified medicine business models and value systems: innovation-regulation interactions. New Biotechnology. 29 (6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2012.03.003
Tait, J. and Banda, G. Proportionate and adaptive governance of innovative technologies. The role of regulations, guidelines and standards. https://www.bsigroup.com/LocalFiles/en-GB/BIS/Innovate%20UK%20and%20emerging%20technologies/Summary%20Report%20-%20Adaptive%20governance%20-%20WEB.pdf
Huzair, F. and Sturdy, S. (2017). Biotechnology and the transformation of vaccine innovation: The case of the hepatitis B vaccines 1968–2000. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2017.05.004

Our alumni

Swati Sureka

Following her time at Edinburgh from 2015-2016 in the MSc BIG programme, Swati undertook a second masters degree in Nature, Society, and Environmental Governance at Oxford. She then went on to a Science Assistant position at the National Science Foundation in Washington and is currently a Science Analyst at the NSF.

Paulo Szwarc

Paulo graduated from MSc BIG in 2019 coming from a background in the sciences.He is now Global Pharmacovigilance Case Processor at Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

Roxanne Dee

Roxanne graduated from MSc MBIG in 2017 having completed her BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences. She now works as a digital Health Analyst at a consultancy where she focuses on new technologies and digital across therapy areas, and writes market research reports on disease areas HIV, and immunology.

Danaé Steisel

Danaé completed the MSc BIG in 2019, coming from a background in the social sciences. She is now Policy Officer for the European Landowners' Organization in Brussels.

Carolina Isenberg

Carolina graduated the MSc BIG in 2017 having completed her BA in Social Sciences. Currently, she is completing the Medical Marketing graduate program at the global pharmaceutical company Sanofi in Berlin and Frankfurt. Through this program, she has worked as a Junior Medical Manager in the vaccines department and as a Junior Brand Manager in the field of rare diseases.

Ruairi Wood

Ruairi came to Edinburgh with a background in the biomedical sciences. After completing the MSc BIG in 2019, Ruairi won a place on the Commercial Innovative Medicines Graduate Scheme at Bristol Myers Squibb in the UK.

Thanh Nhat Vo

Thanh completed the MSc BIG in 2019 from a background in sport science. He is now a project manager at the start up company EarthNatural in Singapore.

Mari Wøien Meijer

Mari completed the MSc BIG in 2015. She also holds an MA in International Relations (2010-2014). Mari is currently working as a Research Fellow at Nordregio, an international research centre for regional development and planning.

Bas Van Den Berg

Bas completed the MSc BIG in 2018. He came from a background in engineering. He became a Junior Researcher in Circular Business and Learning at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and is now undertaking a PhD.

Di Wu