This chapter proposes the first step in a horizon scanning exercise aimed at equipping policymakers with the tools needed to navigate the complex, rapidly changing landscape of emerging biotechnologies and their implications for the biological disarmament regime. By using a multidimensional approach that integrates bibliometrics and patent mapping, we aim to identify and categorise emerging trends in biotechnology. Our study consists of a comprehensive analysis of open-source data to pinpoint emerging biotechnologies using key publication and patent metrics. Analysing trends in scientific and patent publications enables us to categorise technologies and understand their relative influence and impact. This contributes to the literature on tracking the emergence of synthetic biology through bibliometrics, while integrating other sources of economic data such as patent applications. As we look beyond the 50th anniversary of the BWC, the necessity for such reviews is increasingly apparent. The Ninth Review Conference saw States Parties deciding to “develop with a view to establishing a mechanism” to review and assess S&T developments relevant to the Convention. Our work underscores the importance of integrating economic and scientific publication trends to fully appreciate the rapid pace of development in biotechnology and the bioeconomy. This approach is not only pivotal for identifying potential areas of concern, but also lays out a framework for policymakers to follow in the future to conduct systematic horizon-scanning exercises. Such a process is key to keeping the BWC relevant in a rapidly-changing technological world.