In a pivotal EU competitiveness council held in Budapest last week, Spain’s Industry Minister Jordi Hereu called on the European Union to take bolder action in supporting the biotech sector. His message was clear: Europe’s biotechnology future hinges on greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), regulatory modernization, and expanded bioproduction capabilities.
The EU's Informal Meeting of Competitiveness Ministers, held on 18 July, brought together key decision-makers from across the bloc. Spain used the opportunity to spotlight biotech as a strategic innovation sector, particularly as global competition intensifies in life sciences and synthetic biology.
Minister Hereu emphasized that biotechnology is not just about health; it is also critical to food security, climate resilience, and industrial competitiveness. However, many promising startups and research spinouts in Spain and across the EU continue to face structural barriers that limit growth and global reach.
Spain proposed a multi-point approach to unlock the potential of European biotech, especially for SMEs:
Spain urged the EU to streamline regulatory processes for biotech products and services, which currently vary across member states and often lead to delays or uncertainty.
The country called for a European strategy to increase bioproduction capacity, enabling local manufacturing of biologics, cell therapies, and other biotech products.
Spain asked for stronger intellectual property frameworks to help startups safeguard innovations, particularly those entering global markets.
Minister Hereu supported the creation of EU-wide “regulatory sandboxes,” which are controlled environments where biotech innovations can be tested under flexible rules before full market entry.
Spain’s intervention at the EU level aligns with the country’s broader goal to become a southern European biotech hub. With thriving clusters in Catalonia, Madrid, and Andalusia, and rising agri-biotech influence from Valencia and Murcia, the region is primed for scale but still lacks the regulatory and funding frameworks that countries like Germany and France currently benefit from.
This push also reflects rising pressure from Spain’s biotech associations, which have long argued that fragmented EU regulations and limited cross-border funding mechanisms are hampering growth.
The EU Council is expected to discuss Spain’s proposals further in upcoming sessions, particularly as part of its 2025 Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda. If successful, this could pave the way for new EU grant mechanisms for early-stage biotech firms, cross-border manufacturing partnerships, and accelerated approval pathways for select biotech products.
Spain’s biotech vision is not just domestic; it is continental. By advocating for bold EU reforms, the Spanish government is positioning its biotech ecosystem as a key driver of Europe’s next innovation chapter.