Discover the BioRegion
The BioRegion of Catalonia is one of the most vibrant life sciences and health innovation ecosystems in Europe. It is made up of companies, research bodies and centers, hospitals, universities, administrations and support bodies that work in this strategic sector in Catalonia. It currently contributes 7.6% of Catalonia’s GDP and employs nearly 7.3% of the population.
More than 1,900 organizations that drive innovation in health and frontier research
The BioRegion has around a hundred research entities and over 1,00 companies, of which 470 are startups and scaleups.
Sustainable growth and employment growth in the startup industry over the past five years
Over the past years, there has been a sustained increase in investment, the number of startups and spin-offs, and macroeconomic indicators. Company creation remained stable, with an annual average of 50 new companies. Between 2015 and 2024, 582 startups were founded, of which 470 are still active in 2024. The majority are from digital health (207, 36%), followed by biotech (171, 29%) and tecmed (88, 15%). The investment has set a new record, with 347 million euros, an increase of 54% compared to the previous year. This figure becomes the second highest in the history of the BioRegion, surpassed only by that of 2022. The turnover of the industry has increased by 6% compared to the previous year, and the employment generated by the industry has increased by 20% in the last five years.
secured by startups and scaleups in 2024
sector turnover in 2023
jobs in 2023
Leaders in cancer research and trials
The BioRegion has unique capacities in genomics and structural biology and stands out in areas like medical chemistry, nanomedicine, omic sciences, bioinformatics and big data.
Oncology
In cancer, the BioRegion has capacities throughout the value chain, from basic research to clinical and translational research.
Advanced therapies
We lead the Hub of Advanced and Emerging Therapies to become an international benchmark in the production, development, and adoption of technologies in advanced therapies and bioengineering.
Digital health
In 10 years, more than 200 digital health companies have been created in Catalonia, focusing on such diverse fields as clinical telemedicine tools, digital therapies, support for medical decision-making and health apps.
Clinical trials
With over 1,200 active clinical trials, Catalonia is ranked 6th in Europe and 9th in the world.
Innovation pipeline
The BioRegion currently has a pipeline of 58 therapies in clinical development, mainly in oncology, neurology, dermatology, infectious and minority diseases, and fertility. Of these, 20 are non-industrial manufacturing treatments managed by hospitals and research facilities.
Hospitals
University hospitals and healthcare centers are world renowned in oncology, thoracic and cardiac surgery, kidney transplants and ophthalmologic surgery.
Leaders in scientific publications and clinical trials
Catalonia ranks 5th in scientific publications and 1st in the percentage of Highly Cited Papers (HCPs) in Europe. In addition, it ranks 5th in Europe and 8th in the world in active clinical trials.
publications in life and health sciences (2019-2023)
Highly Cited Papers (HCP) in Life and Health Sciences (2019-2023)
active clinical trials (to 2024)