Chapter 6 Alliances may Explain the Significant Growth of Biotechnology Companies in the Critical Period 1996 - 2001 ?

The chemical industry, considered as the first to have had a scientific base, constitutes a very heterogeneous sector. Molecular biology is complemented by the chemical industry in its steps, and the integration of two sciences have formed the young biotechnology sector, which is indivisible. In addition, the development of companies from 1920s to now results in the emergence of large multinational companies that work today in biotechnology. The biotechnology companies were restructured while being interested in the alwayspromising sectors of pharmacy and agrochemicals. These two sectors form oligopoly structures in an environment of very high competition. In these industries, the R&D department is the primary component of importance, and the costs to complete an innovating product are often very high. For example, it will necessarily take from ten to ABSTRACT