The pharmaceutical sector has traditionally been one of Catalonia's strongest industries. For many decades, it has held firm footing in the sector compared to Spain as a whole. In fact, most of Spain's pharmaceutical activities take place in Catalonia, where 50% of the pharmaceutical laboratories in Spain are located, 60% of turnover is produced and 66% of companies working in fine chemistry are to be found. 

The four largest pharmaceutical companies in Spain (Almirall Prodesfarma, Esteve, Ferrer Internacional and Uriach) were in fact founded and currently have their head offices in Catalonia. In 2005, these four companies spent around 152.5 million euros on R&D. This tradition and activity has attracted major foreign investments to the region. Seven of world's ten main pharmaceutical companies are established in Catalonia: Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Sanofi Aventis, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and the Roche Group. 

World's major pharmaceutical multinationals (in red) active in Catalonia

Most of the 200 plus companies that make up the biotechnology sector in Catalonia have been set up over the past five years. Their choice of Catalonia has been greatly influenced by the importance of the sector, as well as that of the chemical and medical sector, and the fact that Catalonia is renowned for its scientific research, its pre-eminent infrastructures (the Barcelona Science Park, the Biomedical Research Park, the Biocampus, etc.) and its prestigious research groups in hospitals and universities.

The recent creation of the Bioregion of Catalonia (a joint project between the administration, public R&D institutions and businesses in the sector) is a new regional development model whose mission is to consolidate the biotechnology sector. Its aim is to focus on the strategic development of scientific and industrial infrastructures, and to establish relations between investors and innovators in Catalonia that will benefit both parties. Its work specifically addresses biomedical and biotechnological research in Catalonia in an attempt to create an environment conducive to knowledge and technology transfer. It is expected that this will serve to make an overall contribution to the development and commercialisation of innovative biotechnology products and to consolidate a strong business sector.

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• XIII CIDEM Investment Forum: Biotech business proposals 

More about biopharma:

• European Association of Pharma Biotechnology
• European Federation of Biotechnology
• Catalan Industry Annual Report (2006)
• Spanish Association of Biotechnological Companies
• Biotechnology Flash, Guiame, Esade
• Pharma Flash, Guiame, Esade