Interview with Tomasz Piec, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SyVento BioTech
The COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical instability and disruptions to global supply chains have fundamentally changed the way we think about security. Alongside defence, energy and cybersecurity, biotechnology is increasingly recognised as a strategic capability. Why could the ability to develop and manufacture medicines become one of the foundations of national resilience?
We spoke with Tomasz Piec, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SyVento BioTech, a Polish biotechnology company and partner of the DefenceTech Cluster, specialising in mRNA technologies, lipid formulation and integrated CDMO services supporting the development and manufacturing of next-generation therapies.
Mr. Piec, only a few years ago biotechnology was rarely mentioned in discussions about national security. What has changed?
Virtually everything has changed.
Until recently, national security was associated primarily with military capabilities and the protection of critical infrastructure. Today, we understand that it also depends on our ability to maintain continuity during pandemics, geopolitical crises or disruptions in the supply of strategically important products.
Recent years have demonstrated that access to medicines, vaccines and medical technologies can be just as critical as energy security. In this context, biotechnology is no longer viewed solely as part of the healthcare sector, it has become a cornerstone of national resilience.
Has the pandemic changed the way we think about the global economy?
Absolutely.
For decades, the global economy was built around cost efficiency. Manufacturing was relocated to the lowest-cost regions, while access to critical components became increasingly dependent on long and complex global supply chains.
This model worked well in times of stability. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent geopolitical tensions exposed its vulnerabilities. Global shortages of active pharmaceutical ingredients, laboratory materials and manufacturing components demonstrated how dependence on distant markets can quickly become a threat to local healthcare security.
Today, Europe faces the challenge of rebuilding critical capabilities that will allow it not only to innovate but also to manufacture strategic technologies within its own borders.
Pharmaceutical sovereignty is becoming an increasingly important topic. What does it actually mean?
Pharmaceutical sovereignty does not mean complete self-sufficiency or withdrawing from international cooperation. It means having the capability to secure access to critical medical products when global markets become unpredictable.
In practice, this requires combining scientific expertise with manufacturing capabilities. Knowledge alone is not enough if it cannot be translated quickly into a safe, reliable and scalable production process.
That is why strengthening European and regional supply chains is so important. Shorter, better-controlled supply networks reduce the risk of disruption, improve transparency and enable faster responses during crises.
In emergency situations, access to technology alone is not enough. What truly matters is the ability to rapidly transform innovation into a finished product. Organisations capable of managing the entire process, from technology development and validation to manufacturing medicines or vaccines in accordance with the highest pharmaceutical quality standards, play a strategic role. The fewer critical stages depend on geographically dispersed partners, the greater the control over the process and the more resilient the entire system becomes.
Why is biotechnology increasingly considered a dual-use technology?
Modern biotechnology extends far beyond healthcare.
Its strategic importance includes preparedness for biological threats, the development of dual-use technologies, the protection of critical infrastructure and the ability to rapidly develop and deploy new solutions during emergencies.
Platforms designed to develop advanced therapies can also serve as the foundation for a rapid response to emerging pathogens. Likewise, manufacturing capabilities built for civilian healthcare can significantly strengthen a country’s capacity to respond when demand suddenly surges.
This dual-use nature is precisely what makes biotechnology a natural part of the DefenceTech ecosystem.
How important is cooperation between science, industry and government?
It is absolutely essential.
No single organisation can build national resilience on its own. Long-term cooperation between government, academia and industry is required, based on clearly defined needs and realistic implementation capabilities.
Initiatives such as the DefenceTech Cluster create an environment where complementary expertise can come together. They facilitate knowledge exchange, foster joint projects and help build capabilities that can have strategic significance for both Poland and Europe.
The true value of this model lies not in declarations of cooperation, but in its ability to deliver tangible outcomes: new technologies, safer processes and greater preparedness.
Why did SyVento BioTech decide to join the DefenceTech Cluster?
National resilience is not created during a crisis, it is built long before one occurs by investing in domestic expertise and manufacturing capabilities.
Biotechnology plays a unique role because it directly contributes to healthcare security and enables a rapid response to emerging threats.
Equally important is the development of European supply chains that provide greater control over critical stages of manufacturing while reducing dependence on individual, distant markets.
For SyVento BioTech, joining the DefenceTech Cluster was a natural step. We believe that collaboration between science, industry and public institutions can transform knowledge into real capabilities that strengthen Poland’s security and Europe’s strategic autonomy.
In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge facing national security today?
The greatest challenge is not predicting the next crisis, it is preparing for it in advance.
Countries that develop their own technologies, maintain secure manufacturing capabilities and reduce dependence on unstable supply sources gain much more than an economic advantage. They gain the ability to act when traditional systems fail.
That is why investing in biotechnology is no longer simply an investment in the life sciences sector. It is an investment in national resilience.
Security does not begin when a crisis occurs. It begins with the capabilities, partnerships and technologies we build every day.
