(+34) 913 497 100 | Home Industries Life Sciences Life Sciences "Around 60% of pharmaceutical companies in Spain are foreign. There are more than 425 companies employing over 40,000 people" The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in Spain has become one of the most dynamic and competitive globally. The biotechnology industry specifically, has grown hand-in-hand with the pharmaceutical industry. It has now, after two decades, achieved a stage of consolidation as an emerging industry. “A number of major industry multinationals have chosen Spain as the destination for investment, not only to distribute their products, but to establish their R&D, production and service centers.” In the field of Life Sciences, the pharmaceutical industry is the industrial leader by volume of spending on research, and accounts for over 20% of total private R&D investment in the country. This industry employs 5,000 workers who dedicate 100% of their activity to R&D. This figure represents 25% of the employment in R&D in Spanish industry as a whole. 3,000 biotechnology companies form an industry in which innovation and R&D are key. Half of these (50%) lead the healthcare industry with the launch of innovative new products in diagnostics and therapeutics. Innovation in healthcare technology in Spain offers great potential for development, mainly due to the large size of the market. Spain is one of Europe's principal markets, with over 1,000 companies, 500 of them manufacturers. Over 27,800 people work in the industry. Bárbara López PROJECT MANAGER Contact us Our advisers will inform and support you in setting up your business CONTACT Discover the RDI Ecosystem IN SPAIN FIND OUT MORE Why invest in Spain’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry? Solid basic science, highly qualified human capital, cutting-edge technological infrastructures, an integrated healthcare system and government support are the qualities of our pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Solid basic science Spain is 12th country in the world and 5th in Europe in terms of scientific output. Integrated healthcare system Spain has an extensive network of 800 public and private hospitals, in addition to state-of-the-art research centers and universities, all of which comprise a highly favorable ecosystem for developing and testing new drugs. Public subsidies The Spanish government offers funding, low interest loans during the startup and growth phases, along with incentives and tax deductions that drive growth in the industry. Cutting-edge infrastructure in innovation Spain has almost 80 science and technology parks, research centers, technology institutes and universities with state-of-the-art technology for research. Highly-qualified personnel There is a surplus of talent that can be leveraged for competitive and innovative projects; Spain has a high percentage of postgraduate students. What are the best investment opportunities? R&D in healthcare technology Personalised medicine A new generation of biosimilars Find your Aid and Incentive Interactive search engine for national and regional financial aid and incentives for your investment project. FIND OUT MORE Distribution of the the biotechnology industry (% of companies) >16% 2,7-10% 2,1-2,7% <1,1% Success stories See all success stories 03 August 2020 Nanogetic Rosario M. Sánchez-Martín Professor at Granada University Nanogetic is participating in research on the pandemic with a twofold focus: diagnostics and therapeutics. ... Nanogetic is one of the few companies in Spain dedicated to nanobiotechnology. Located in Granada’s Health Technology Park (PTS), ... Read more 24 July 2020 Destina Genomics David Whitcombe Destina Genomics has requested European funding to develop a rapid and reliable test for the detection ... Disease detection tests have hit the headlines in recent months due to the coronavirus crisis. The reliability, scarcity and price ... Read more Publications 19|07|2021 Spain for Life Sciences (386,21 KB) News See all 26 NOVEMBER 2021 ICEX Launches INNOVA Invest, a Programme Designed to Help Foreign Companies Invest in R&D in Spain Read more 23 NOVEMBER 2021 British pharmaceutical company GSK opens new laboratory at Alcalá de Henares plant Read more 12 NOVEMBER 2021 Belgian company Agomab Therapeutics acquires Spanish biotech Origo Biopharma Read more Agenda See all Our brands: Invest in Spain About Us Global Network Regions Innovation Startups Sustainability LATAM Desk China Desk Publications Events What's on Why Spain Economy Infrastructures Talent Taxation Quality of Life Industries Aerospace Agri-food Audiovisual Automotive and mobility Chemical industry ICT Life Sciences Logistics and transport Renewable Energy Tourism and Leisure Doing Business Company set up Taxes Labour market Aids and incentives Visas Intellectual property Living in Spain We help you Innova Invest Smart Technology Fund Investors Network Investor Services Rising Up in Spain Social Networks European Regional Development Fund A way to make Europe All rights reserved. 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