Biotechnologies benefit from massive biology research investment, primarily in the medical field, but also in sciences applied to agriculture and the environment. The high cost of such research is a clear obstacle to their development on the rubber tree, requiring a selective approach, hence a carefully considered choice of the aims and most appropriate methods. Yet the constraints specific to a perennial plant with a long economic cycle, such as the rubber tree, make the possible applications of in vitro culture, molecular genetic marking and molecular biology particularly attractive. An inventory of the current situation is required and a certain number of questions arise: - Biotechnologies for what purpose? Utility on a "plant scale" biological model? Utility for growers? Utility for industry? - What are the challenges for public research? What are the challenges for the private sector? - What is needed to achieve reasonable objectives? - What individual and/or collective strategies are required to cover these requirements? - What alliances are possible/necessary for implementing such strategies? These issues were debated during the "Biotechnology and Rubber tree" seminar held at the annual meeting of the International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB) from 25th to 28th September 2001 in Montpellier. It was attended by eighty participants from ten producing countries. Twenty-three top-level papers were given, providing an overall picture of global biotechnology research applied to rubber cultivation. Substantial progress has been made in the development of somatic embryogenesis and genomics. Discussions covered several topics for collaboration, particularly with Malaysia. GRAD has been assigned to coordinate the biotechnology group set up within IRRDB.