The role of Biotechnology in Spain to achieve the new European strategy for an ecological, digital and competitive Europe on a global scale

The European Commission has recently presented the new Industrial Strategy for Europe to undertake its double transition towards climate neutrality and digital leadership. The goal of the Industrial Strategy is to facilitate European competitiveness and its strategic autonomy in a context of increasing global competitiveness.

The industry’s contribution to European development is unquestionable. It is responsible for 20% of the total EU added value, generates 35 million jobs and represents 80% of European exports. Regarding the size of companies, it should be noted that 99% of European companies are SMEs. This industrial fabric must now face the challenges we have as a society related to meeting the 2030 Agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Commission has set itself the challenge of making European industry greener, as well as more circular and more digital, and to remain competitive on the world stage. These three elements will transform our industry, contribute to the development of our SMEs and make Europe grow both in sustainability and competitiveness.

The Strategy also highlights an element that in the current pandemic situation generated by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus becomes even more relevant. The Strategy wants to reinforce the industrial and strategic autonomy of Europe and this has to do with the need to work throughout 2020 on a new Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe. This new Strategy should include actions aimed at ensuring sufficient existence of necessary medicines and health products, as well as facilitating patients access to innovation. The Biotechnology sector plays a fundamental role regarding innovation within the health sector. According to data from the InBio Plan, this sector leads the effort in innovation, accounting for 19% of the total R & D & I business in Europe. Much of the medicines available on the market are the result of the progress made in Biotechnology. Thus, 8 out of 10 of the best-selling drugs in the world are biological and 69% of the drugs in development are biotechnological with an average investment of 2.4 billion euros to develop a biotech drug. In Spain, a significant number of AseBio partners base their research, development, production and marketing of medicines and health products on Biotechnology. AseBio is leading this line of work with a Working Committee focused on providing innovative solutions to make diagnoses and treatments more effective and personalized, and to respond to unmet medical needs.

The Biotechnology sector has a lot to contribute to the Industrial Strategy. According to the latest AseBio Report, the Biotechnology sector in Spain generated an economic impact of almost 7,000 million euros, 0.7% of GDP, which is equivalent to three times the budget allocated in the last General State Budgets (PGE) presented in 2019 (although not approved) for dependence, the funding for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or for R & D & I. In 2017, only Biotechnological companies directly employed more than 25,000 people and had a total impact in Spain of just over 92,000 high-quality jobs in knowledge-intensive activities. All this activity related to Biotech companies generated total revenues of almost 2,500 million euros into the State Treasury.

In order to face the challenges set by Europe, it is not enough to have an impact on the country’s economic growth: innovative capacity is absolutely necessary. This innovation allows both to transform strategic sectors of the economy in a holistic manner and to have an impact on our daily uses. In this sense, Biotechnology is an innovative sector, committed to the future of a sustainable economy based on science and innovation. Investment in R&D in Biotechnology continues to increase, as evidenced by data from the recently published National Institute of Statistics survey. Investment in R&D activities related to Biotechnology reached 1,783 million euros in 2018, with an increase of 5.3% compared to 2017. This investment accounted for 11.9% of total expenditure on R&D activities, that is to say that of every 100 euros spent in R&D in our country, almost 12 euros are used for R&D in Biotechnology.

For the purpose of accomplishing the ecological transition included in the Industry Strategy, the European Green Deal is the new roadmap for Europe in order to grow. Its key objective is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The relationship between climate change and health, the cure of diseases, better responses to health crises, food security, the reduction of greenhouse gases or solutions to end hunger can find answers in R & D & I directly related to Biotechnology. The science field of Biotechnology is without doubt one of the key technologies to promote sustainable growth —intensive in knowledge and aligned with the SDGs— and, therefore, it will play a key role in the new Industrial Strategy, which holds the environmental challenge and the well-being of people at the center of its long term vision.

To turn the European industry into a more circular one, the Industrial Strategy will make the industry more competitive by ensuring the right conditions for entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into real products and services, and for companies to prosper and grow. We will redefine our thinking about natural resources and reorganize industrial value chains towards a circular economy that "is doing more with less." At AseBio we want to contribute to achieving an economy based on research and knowledge, thus also contributing to ensure that the new European industrial model sets Europe as a leader in technology, innovation and sustainability.  The lines of aid and financing will be outlined by this objective in the period 2021-2027 in all industrial sectors.

Industry must increasingly use digital technologies to ensure digital transition. This will enable economic agents to become more proactive, providing workers with new skills and contributing to the decarbonization of our economy. Advances in new technologies (AI, IoT, robotics, 3D printing, automation), as well as Biotechnology will lead to technology-based transformations in all EU countries. AseBio is currently taking steps in this direction with the definition of a work agenda that seeks points of union between Biotechnology and digitization to boost the intersection’s potential between both.

It is essential for the European industrial ecosystem to join forces in order to accomplish the Industrial Strategy’s ambitious objectives and to decisively stimulate sustainable economic growth. I also welcome, as part of the Strategy, the future creation of an Industrial Forum made up of representatives of the industry, SMEs, large corporations, social representatives, researchers, Member States and European institutions. At AseBio we strongly believe in the need to enhance public-private partnership, as well as spaces of trust between system agents to advance in a coordinated manner in our common objectives, which is why we put our knowledge and strength of our associative fabric at the disposal of these European objectives.

Ana Polanco

President of the Spanish Biotech Companies Association (AseBio)