BioRegion of Catalonia Report

The indicators from the BioRegion of Catalonia 2023 report show a sector that continues to position Catalonia as one of the most dynamic and competitive hubs for health innovation in Europe. This is evidenced by the constant arrival of international and multinational innovation centers, funding for startups and scaleups, merger and acquisition operations, as well as excellent indicators in clinical trials and scientific publications.

• Health startups and scaleups in Catalonia have managed to raise €220 million in 2023. 
• Venture capital has remained the main source of investment with €114 million (52% of the total), followed by competitive grants (27.5%), a figure that has doubled compared to the previous year. 
• By subsectors, digital health has grown by 61% compared to the previous year, reaching €63 million. Biotechnology has stood out as the top recipient of investment, surpassing €110 million. 
• 85 health startups and scaleups in Catalonia are working on the application of artificial intelligence (AI).  
• In the last five years, 25 new hubs have been created, among which AstraZeneca stands out. It has contributed to breaking records in 2023 in attracting foreign direct investment (up to €1.025 billion) and in creating new jobs (up to 1,843). 
• Catalonia is among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest participation in clinical trials, ranking 5th in Europe with 5,308 active clinical trials. Globally, Catalonia is in 8th place. 
• Pipeline: 73 therapies in development, with 19 advanced therapies in clinical development, where oncology emerges as the primary research area.