The Regional Government of Galicia hopes to mobilise 662 million euros with the aim making Galicia one of the leading regions for biotechnology on the international level. To achieve this, the framework of the biotechnology sector’s consolidation strategy for the period 2021-2025 will encourage the creation and consolidation of businesses around a hub of biotechnology innovation, which will act as a lever for the bio-entrepreneurship of new initiatives and the recruitment of trailblazing companies focused on R&D and innovation.

Talent and human capital, result transference, marketing and international expansion, mobilisation and attraction of capital, collaborative ecosystems and the positioning and dissemination of the bioregion. These are the five building blocks on which the Galician government will act to meet the goals laid out on the biotechnology roadmap until 2025: to increase by 50% both the number of businesses in the sector and their turnover, increase employment by 25%, and spending on R&D and innovation by 45%, boost investment capital by 300% and consolidate sectoral hybridisation.

A key role in the digital and energy transition

During his speech at the 9th Bioga Awards ceremony, the vice-president for Economic Affairs and Regional Minister of Economy, Enterprise and Innovation, Francisco Conde, noted the important role played by biotechnology in facing "important challenges" such as the fight against climate change and the promotion of a healthier lifestyle. "The biotechnology ecosystem that is being pushed in Galicia is making it possible to tackle important projects to overcome the pandemic and to accelerate the ecological and digital transition," he stressed.

In addition to the opportunities created by the European Next Generation fund, the Strategy for the consolidation of the biotechnology sector 2021-2025 represents a firm commitment by the Regional Government of Galicia in this area. As noted by the director of the Galician Innovation Agency (Gain), Patricia Argerey, during the presentation of the Strategy in the Galician Parliament, investments are expected to triple in 2025, mobilising more than 660 million euros and generating 60 new companies, 500 new jobs and 250 researchers within the Galician R&D and innovation ecosystem. 

Social and economic value

The six priority areas of action outlined by the Galician government in its biotechnology consolidation plan are of a cross-sectional nature. Marine resources; the agricultural and forestry sector; healthy food and active ageing; ICT for personalised medicine; the development and production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines; the circular economy and bioenergy all rely on the impetus of a biotechnology sector capable of generating both economic and social value, and that has its sights set on increasing its competitiveness and making Galicia a point of reference in the sector.

Biotechnology was one of the sectors which demonstrated the greatest response capacity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research undertaken to create vaccines, the diagnostic tests, and the various treatments still under study gave biotechnology a boost in Galicia that the Regional Government contributes to in different ways.

The needs arising from this exceptional situation highlighted not only the importance of the biotechnology sector and, therefore, of research, but also the capacity of the Galician business network to respond to challenges such as the production of the first vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 manufactured in the European Union - that of the American pharmaceutical company Novavax, whose production has been entrusted to the biopharmaceutical group Zendal, in O Porriño. 

A Sionlla hub

Galicia plans to take advantage of the potential of Galician biotechnology by constructing an advanced manufacturing centre which will be located at A Sionlla Business Park in Santiago, a city considered to be one of the main biotechnology hubs in Galicia. The regional programme of advanced manufacturing centres, together with that of A Sionlla - with a grant of 4 million euros and 64,000 square metres reserved for biotechnology companies - is already supporting seven initiatives in Galicia.