As a result of accelerated training of scientists and engineers beginning in the 1960s and substantial state investment since the 1980s calculated at about USD$1 billion,[1] Cuban biotechnology has become a major player in the Cuban economy and successfully established its place in the global market. According to a World Bank report, Cuba has the capacity to meet about 80% of its domestic demand for prescription drugs and had achieved annual biotech exports of around USD$100 million in the 1990s.[2] A recent Ernst & Young report puts exports of biotech products at USD$300 million in 2005.