Biobanks are collections of biospecimens and associated data from animals, humans, environments, microbes, geological deposits, botanicals and crops or historical artifacts that can be used in critical scientific research. In the case of human and animal biospecimens, these may also be able used in direct clinical interventions such as precision medicine. Despite being a foundation and linchpin of modern science, with major contributions in nearly every sub-discipline of scientific research around the world, biobanking as a discipline remains somewhat in obscurity. This unfamiliarity represents an ongoing threat to the sustainability of biobanks, which includes reductions in funding, government and public support, and ultimately scientific impact. Therefore, awareness of biobanking’s global impact must be the foundation for further advocacy and education, and with this in mind, a new international initiative, ‘Global Biobank Awareness’ (GBA) has been launched to propel biobanking into the public consciousness.