Biotechnology companies in Spain increased their R&D investments by 16% in 2021 to 1,038 million euros, according to the AseBio 2022 report released this Tuesday by the Spanish Association of Bio-Companies (AseBio). According to the employer, 64% of these expenses are financed from their own resources and only 10% come from public subsidies. This disbursement corresponds to more than 6% of the total national investment in research and development. However, the report highlights that the sector has fallen from fourth to fifth place in R&D investment intensity, lagging behind consultancies, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and education.
After two years of record growth, investments by biotechnology companies stabilized at €142 million in 2022, down €40 million from the previous year. Nevertheless, Ion Arocena, General Manager of AseBio, emphasizes that the number is still “well above” the data before the Covid pandemic. The manager interprets the situation as a “return to normal after what has been an extraordinary time in every respect”. Crowdfunding has also established itself as a financing option and collected nine million euros.
Although investments are declining, biotechnology revenues are increasing to over 11,180 million euros, equivalent to 1% of Spain’s GDP. The sector creates 118,000 jobs, 0.65% of national employment. AseBio President Ana Polanco has highlighted that the salary per employee is almost double the national average. The sector remains the leader in terms of the share of researchers in the total number of employees (14.6%) and ranks Spain ninth in terms of scientific production in the field of biotechnology.
Biotechnology has radically changed agriculture and food production, enabling greater resilience to pests and extreme environmental conditions.
Ana Polanco, President of AseBio
The report also finds that interest in biotechnology studies has increased, particularly among women. In the academic year 2021-2022, the latest period for which data are available, more than 8,900 master’s or diploma students – 62% female students – chose this path. Women account for 53% of the workforce in the industry, almost 30% of the managerial positions (well above the Ibex 35 companies) and 58% of the staff responsible for R&D activities in these companies.
The number of biotechnology companies has continued to grow for another year. In 2021, the company structure grew by 4.2% to 898 companies, 38 more than in the previous year. Catalonia is the municipality with the largest number of companies (24.5%), followed by Madrid (17%) and Andalusia (14%).
The main field of activity of biotechnology is human health, to which more than half of the companies are devoted. This is followed by food (39%) and, at a greater distance, activities related to agricultural and forestry production (15%). In this sense, Polanco has pointed out: “Biotechnology has radically changed agriculture and food production, allowing greater resilience to pests and extreme environmental conditions.”
In 2022, alliances in the industry have grown by 35% to 295, 189 of which are with public research centers or foundations. 31% of the companies with which contracts are signed are international. The companies associated with AseBio increased their international presence by 20% in 2021. According to the employer’s analysis, the main geographic areas in which they choose to establish their subsidiaries are the United States and European countries.
Science and Innovation Minister Diana Morant delivered the closing speech of the event. She recognized AseBio’s 20 years of work and described the biotechnology sector as “key to ensuring the health and well-being of society in the face of challenges such as climate change or the aging of the population”. Morant also used the event to express her “very serious concerns” about the future of Spanish science and innovation in light of the forthcoming general elections on July 23 and the possibility of a change of government in Spain.
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