Bioethic work group

Adebag has set up a multidisciplinary Bioethics work group* in order to:

• Raise awareness of bioethical issues for people for entrepreneurs and project developers: enhance understanding of the importance of risk assessment and management and their responsibility in terms of vigilance;
• encourage transparency and interaction with external organisations and the public.

This innovative and original approach has led to the creation of a knowledge base and a new work methodology. The objective of the work group is to develop a pragmatic approach based on a code of practice which strikes a balance between work ethics and moral principles and which aims to support businesses rather than place constraints upon them. (As yet no decision proper).
In order for project developers to be able to follow the bioethics group's guidelines, which will constitute the outcome of the group's work (assessment of risks/benefits, anticipating and reversibility of decisions), it has drawn up a questionnaire for entrepreneurs and project developers to complete prior to meeting with them as well as an assessment questionnaire.

The entrepreneurs and project developers who worked with the bioethics group gave very positive responses to the approach. In brief, it allows them to:

• step back and take an objective look at their daily work,
• obtain a variety of viewpoints on their work methodology from people with diverse experiences and backgrounds,
• identify potential ethical issues which could be raised in practical areas of their work
• help them to communicate with transparency given what is socially acceptable at a certain point in time

The bioethics work group has set itself some development targets:

• To continually support projects and businesses at different stages of development
• To liaise with external experts in particular for regulatory matters
• To train entrepreneurs and project developers to be aware of and to follow the regulations covering the field of activity of their project, which is a prerequisite of bioethics,
• To set up a think tank on the subject of "Diagnosis/Self-diagnosis" to think ahead about the future development of new activities in this sector => the first seminar on this theme (link to the programme) was organised in April 2007 on the topic "Ethical problems of genetic diagnosis".

A multidisciplinary work group made up of volunteers

• Mr Régis Mache (President), biologist, UJF / GIERE (Groupe Interuniversitaire d'Ethique de la REcherche - Interuniversity Ethics Research Group )
• Mrs Valérie Ayache, economist, ADEBAG
• Mr Nicolas Aumonier, philosopher, UJF
• Mrs Odile Whitechurch, biologist, ARDI Santé
• Mr Yves François, farming industry professional, Chambre d'Agriculture de L'Isère
• Mrs Nicole Giraud, Technology transfer, FLORALIS (UJF division)
• Thomas Roche Esq., Lawyer, Cabinet Roche & Associés
• Mr Christophe Moreau, biologist, CEA Grenoble
• Mr Sébastien Lebreton, public relations, ADEBAG

(*): The objective of bioethics is to define the relationship between actions involving living creatures and the values of society (within a certain timeframe).