Integrating safety, security, sustainability, and social responsibility principles into the U.S. bioeconomy

Bioindustrial manufacturing is undergoing rapid expansion and investment and is seen as integral to nations’ economic progress. Ensuring that bioindustrial manufacturing benefits society as the field expands is of critical, urgent importance. To better understand the industry’s ethical trajectory and to shape policy, we explored the views of biotechnology leaders on four aspects of ethical and social responsibility—safety, security, social responsibility, and sustainability—what we have termed “4S principles.” We identified policy actions governments and other stakeholders may take to maximize societal benefits in industrial biotechnology. IMPORTANCE We analyzed biotech leaders’ views on safety, security, social responsibility, and sustainability to recommend policies to maximize benefits and economic growth.