DEVELOPMENTS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES - AN ANALYSIS BASED ON ECONOMIC AND OCCUPATIONAL DATA

A database containing information about biotechnology in German-speaki ng countries is used to describe certain economic and occupational fea tures of organizations that are engaged in this field. Regression meth ods enable us to give overviews based on averages, to describe relatio nships in a static and dynamic perspective, and to compute forecasts. The results indicate very heterogeneous developments in the industrial use of biotechnology. Particularly, small enterprises show a large gr owth of economic variables. Occupational and economic features are con nected, but the forecasts suggest a stronger development of the econom ic varaibles over the next years. In general, the empirical findings d o not confirm some ethusiastic hopes about a key role of biotechnologi cal industry in the foreseeable future.