Companies
The 1,350 companies in the BioRegion have a joint turnover of nearly €22 billion (2021) and employ over 59,000 people, with average annual growth of 3%. The largest group is biotech firms (25%), but pharmaceutical corporations (10%) account for 47% of all turnover. In the life sciences and healthcare ecosystem, 8% of the businesses are large companies, 14% are medium sized and 78% are micro or small enterprises.
Amgen
Amgen first began working in Spain in 1990 as a distributor. This California (US) based biotechnology firm produces therapies for cardiology, nephrology, onco-hematology and bone metabolism.
A diverse ecosystem
The largest group of companies in the BioRegion comprises nearly 350 biotechnology firms, of which 24% produce new therapies and diagnostic tools, 39% provide R&D services and 34% work on applications in other fields (such as animal health, industrial biotechnology, food and beverages, agriculture and the environment). Plus, the BioRegion has over 200 medical technology companies (58% as their main activity and 42% specialized suppliers and distributors), 129 companies in the pharmaceutical sector (half pharmaceutical corporations and the other half specialized suppliers and distributors), and 212 companies offering digital health products or services. The BioRegion also has 213 professional services and consultancy companies, 182 suppliers and 66 investment companies.
Leaders in exports
703 Catalan companies regularly export life sciences and healthcare products (44% of all exporters in the sector in Spain). In 2021, exports were valued at €7.78 billion, making up 9.6% of all Catalan exports and 53% of all Spanish exports in the life sciences and healthcare sector.
The number of companies has grown more than 70% in 10 years
Featured companies
Amgen
Amgen first began working in Spain in 1990 as a distributor. This California (US) based biotechnology firm produces therapies for cardiology, nephrology, onco-hematology and bone metabolism.
Grifols
Grifols is a global company that specializes in plasma based medicines to treat rare and chronic diseases in areas like immunology, hepatology, hematology, pulmonary diseases and neurology.
Almirall
One of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country (turnover +€850 million). It specializes in dermatology but also develops drugs for the nervous system, gastrointestinal and respiratory conditions, infectious diseases and neoplasms.
Esteve
Esteve has made neurology the focus of its pipeline (epilepsy, Alzheimer, depression, pain), followed by ophthalmology. It also offers CMO services and produces generics.
Ferrer
Ferrer focuses its R&D on neurological disorders and pulmonary diseases, but also markets drugs for the nervous system, cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology and pain, as well as parapharmaceutical products.
Oryzon Genomics
Created as a spinoff of the UB, this biotechnology firm, which has been publicly traded on the Spanish Continuous Market since 2015, focuses on developing epigenetic therapies for oncology and central nervous system treatments.