Bored with AI investments already? This disruptor may be what you need

Investors are on an interesting ride with AI-related stocks currently. Investing heavily, pulling back when concerns are raised, considering alternatives to the big tech mega-caps.

For those investors and advisors who may be looking for diversity in their portfolios, while still being connected to the AI space, an emerging industry is set to disrupt every business sector, according to a new report released this week.

Capgemini Research Institute’s latest report on the bioeconomy – economic activity that relies on biological resources and processes – focuses on how engineering biology combined with AI and computational techniques is set to be a major disruptor.

With this combination having the potential to achieve both environmental benefits and product performance improvement, corporations are keen to see how it can work for them.

The report found that 70% of corporations who took part are using the products, processes, and materials created by engineering biology (known as biosolutions) to accelerate progress towards their sustainability goals with an expectation that biosolutions can help reduce pollution and emissions, improve product performance and safety, and reduce exposure to supply chain disruptions. There are also cost and performance advantages that add to the overall attractiveness of this approach.

The report finds that almost every (99%) executive surveyed expects the field of engineering biology to initiate sweeping changes in their industry in the next five to ten years or more.

Roshan Gya, CEO of Capgemini Invent and Member of the Capgemini Group Executive Committee, says that the bioeconomy is at a pivotal moment with the promise of limitless opportunities for organizations - and business leaders are taking notice.

“Biosolutions are already making truly groundbreaking innovations possible with a direct impact on numerous aspects of our daily lives. For example, the development of organisms that capture CO2 and microbes that purify water, the creation of biofuels from waste, or next-generation medicines that act on specific DNA profiles,” he said.

Despite the positive outlook for engineering biology, also known as synthetic biology, it cannot happen at scale without investment (the costs are high), infrastructure (such as bioreactors), and talent.

AI is playing a key role in the development of this industry but robotics and digital twins will also be part of the emerging landscape.

“Greater investment is needed to capitalize on this momentum and achieve market viability. With generative AI accelerating speed and precision in the engineering process, while also reducing costs, engineering biology is poised to reimagine and completely transform businesses in the coming years,” enthused Gya.