European research and commercialisation activities in the field of tissue engineering and liver support in world wide competition

Tissue engineering is seen as an interesting field of technology which could improve medical therapy and could also be considered as a commercial opportunity for the European biotechnological industry.

Research in the state of the art of science using the Medline© and the Science Citation Index© databases, in the patent situation and of the industry dealing with tissue engineering was done. A special method, based on the Science Citation Index© Journal Citation Report 1993, for evaluating scientific work was defined. The main countries working in the field of tissue engineering were evaluated in regard to their scientific performance and their patents. The R&D of German industry was investigated as an exemplary European country.

Out of all activities, different tissues were rated with respect to the attention received from research and industry and with regard to the frequency in which patents were applied for. USA, Germany and Japan rank first in most tissues, especially liver. After comparing German patents with the German scientific and industrial work, it seems that the potential in German patents and research is underestimated by German industry and inefficiently exploited. (lnt J Artif Organs 1998; 21:119–26)