Internship in review of biotech policy in relation to Arctic microalgae

This internship is offered as part of the project entitled “Arctic Diatom microalgae bioactive chemodiversity: prOspection, prOduction and prOtection » (ArDCO)”. Arctic microalgae are subject to large environmental changes as temperatures rise in the Arctic. This could lead them toward extinction in the near future. These organisms seem to be rich in molecules that could interest the biotech industry – more so than their southern counterparts. Science on their chemical constitution is limited; we seem to have an idea of what would be the “tip of the iceberg”, with the rest remaining unknown. In addition to the natural science unknowns, there is not much known about how biotech industries currently use Arctic microalgae, nor how they plan to use them in the near future. Such strategies could have consequences to either contribute to their protection in situ, ex situ, or, quite the contrary, hasten their extinction. The capacity of policy to adapt or even anticipate change in private firms behaviours is also unknown at this stage. The purpose of this internship is to capture how policy-makers position themselves in relationship to regulating (or not) the use of Arctic microalgae in the short to medium term, and the reason behind their strategic choices. A parallel internship is offered to look at private sector strategies. These two internships are designed as fully complementing one another.

This internship is open to Masters Students in Economics and business. Follow this link for more informations on this internship. 

Ideal candidates should be familiar with various types of economic analysis for companies, stakeholders and their networks (market analysis, strategic analysis), and public policies (political economy). They must be able to interact in French and English, both written and spoken. Experience in the Arctic and/or Antarctic would be a bonus.