MATHIAS GEMPELER Ph.D.
Global Head Science & Promotion Skin Care, dsm-firmenich,
Basel, Switzerland

There is no doubt that biotechnology can count on a strong tailwind within the personal care industry for the time being. Steve Jobs said already some years ago, “I think the biggest innovations of the 21st century will be at the intersection of biology and technology. A new era is beginning.” This remains true today. The current trend towards biotechnological solutions can be attributed to the benevolent communication of opinion leaders. For example, “The Bio Revolution”, a highly regarded white paper from 2020, begins with the following statement: “Advances in biological sciences, combined with the accelerating development of computing, data processing, and artificial intelligence (AI), are fueling a new wave of innovation that could have significant impact in sectors across the economy, from healthcare and agriculture to consumer goods and energy” (1).

In the same vein, a 2021 white paper publication entitled “The future of Biotech” states: “A more multidisciplinary, digital, and data-rich approach to life sciences is accelerating the understanding of and ability to predictably manipulate living matter, although market, regulatory, and ...