Industrial biotechnology has evolved as a significant manufacturing tool for products like fuel-grade ethanol, organic acids and bulk amino acids, but most items are still specialty products for food and pharmaceutical applications.  Current development projects within the chemical industry, including lactic acid and 1,3-propanediol based polymers and plastics, indicate that new biotechnological processes and products may soon approach the marketplace, clearly targeted at the leading petrochemical bulk outlets.  This is flanked by a strategic shift by the major chemical companies into 'life sciences' - pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and the seed business as well as biotech fine chemicals.  The recent tremendous achievements in molecular plant genetics and transgenic crop breeding will boost agrobiotechnology, agriculture and renewable raw materials as compelling projects for chemistry and biotechnology.  New plant-based production routes may challenge established chemical and biochemical domains, but at the same time open new horizons to valuable feedstocks, intermediates and end-products. 