Companies
The 1,500 companies in the BioRegion have a turnover of €25.5 billion (2023) and employ around 75,400 people, with a 20% increase in employment in the last 5 years. The life sciences and health ecosystem is made up of 10% large companies, 13% medium-sized companies and 77% micro and small companies. Barcelona concentrates the majority of the activity and economic impact of the health sector in Catalonia, as it is home to 94% of all companies and entities in the sector.
Astrazeneca
AstraZeneca is one of the most advanced and integrated biopharmaceutical companies in the world. In Spain, it employs more than 700 people working in cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, respiratory and oncology.
A diverse ecosystem
The sector is characterized by diversification between the four key segments of the industry (biotech, digital health, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals), as well as by the solid network of specialized investors and the extensive business fabric of service and consulting providers. The largest group of companies in the BioRegion is formed by more than 386 biotech companies, in addition, the BioRegion has 225 medical technology companies, 127 companies in the pharmaceutical sector (half pharmaceutical and the other half specialized suppliers and distributors), and 239 companies of digital health products or services. The BioRegion also has nearly 260 professional services and consulting companies, 209 supplier companies and 78 investment companies.
Leaders in exports
880 Catalan companies are regular exporters of life sciences and health products (44% of all exporters in the sector in the State). In 2023 they made exports worth €9,409 million, 9% of all Catalan exports, and 41% of Spanish exports in the life sciences and health sector. In terms of imports, they added up to €9,707 million, 9% of all Catalan exports, remaining the second region in imports of healthcare products in Spain, with 32.5% of the state total, exceeding the 31.1% in 2022.
Increase in the number and presence of health multinationals in Catalonia
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.