2023 BioRegion of Catalonia Report

The presentation of the 2023 BioRegion of Catalonia Report, published by Biocat since 2009, has become the benchmark annual event for the life sciences and healthcare ecosystem in Catalonia. In 2024, the event was organized in collaboration with ACCIÓ, CataloniaBio & HealthTech, Farmaindustria and Fenin, and was sponsored by Amgen, Almirall, Esteve and Alira Health.

The presentation highlighted the sector’s resilience in the face of the global downturn in life sciences investment, as well as the BioRegion’s ability to continue attracting international investment and major projects, like the new AstraZeneca hub in Barcelona. The sector maintains a solid business base with 1,400 companies and 91 research entities, generating nearly 264,000 jobs and representing 7.9% of the Catalan GDP. In 2023, startups and scaleups secured over €220 million in roughly 30 deals, with 58% of venture capital coming from international investors. 

The main challenges identified were the need to attract and retain specialized talent, promote advanced therapies and improve the regulatory framework to facilitate innovation. The event also emphasized the importance of continuing to invest in public-private partnership and raise awareness of local success stories to maintain the BioRegion’s international competitiveness.

Plus, the event also featured several panel discussions and debates with experts, exploring the main challenges, opportunities and future trends in the life sciences and healthcare sector in Catalonia from an international perspective.