Press Release 11/12/2020

STATISTICS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY R&D. 2019

Expenditure on biotechnology R&D in the Basque Country reached 123.4 million euros in 2019, the highest since 2007, following an increase of 9.6%

Almost 80% of products obtained with biotechnology R&D are applied in the field of human health

In 2019, expenditure on internal R&D for activities related to biotechnology increased to 123.4 million euros, 9.6% higher than in 2018, according to Eustat data. This expenditure accounted for 8.3% of the total expenditure on internal R&D.

The number of employed personnel stood at 2,281, which represented 1,473 people in full-time equivalent jobs (FTE). These FTE personnel increased by 2.1% compared to the previous year, with which FTE personnel dedicated to biotechnology represented 7.5% of FTE personnel dedicated to R+D. 1,107 people in FTE worked as researchers, which represented an increase of 1.7% in respect of the previous year.

It should be noted that these data, in terms of both expenditure on biotechnology and personnel in FTE, are the highest since the historic series began in 2007.

Additionally, and as demonstrated in previous years, women were particularly noteworthy in this branch of R&D, as they represented 57.3% of the total full-time staff employed in biotechnology in 2019.

A total of 98 entities, 92 of them companies, carried out research activities in biotechnology in 2019. Moreover, of this total, 75 earmarked more than half of their expenditure for internal biotechnology R&D.

68.1% of expenditure on internal biotechnology R&D came from the Business sector

As in previous years, the Business sector concentrated the highest percentage of total expenditure on internal R&D in biotechnology (68.1%), and this proportion was 1.9 percentage points higher than in 2018 (66.2%).

The other sectors, Higher Education (26.6%) and Public Administration (5.3%), carried out 31.9% of the remaining expenditure for 2019, a percentage that stood at 33.8% in 2018.

The public administration financed 51.3% of internal biotechnology R&D activity

According to the origin of the funds, internal R&D activities relating to biotechnology in 2019 were funded mainly by the Public Administration (51.3%) and Business (35.9%). The remainder was financed via funds originating from overseas (9.2%), from Higher Education (2.1%) and Private Non-Profit Institutions (1.5%).

As regards the areas of application for the products obtained as a result of biotechnology research, Human Health (79.4%) and Nutrition (7.5%) both stood out. The remaining 13.1% was divided in similar percentages between the other areas - Environment, Industry, Animal Health & Aquaculture and Agriculture & Forestry Production.

Time/cost and Access to capital stood out as the main obstacles for carrying out internal R&D activities in biotechnology

Finally, in the perception of the main obstacles inhibiting the advancement of research and development in biotechnology in 2019, of particular note were Time/cost and Access to capital, with 88% and 84%, respectively. In third place were regulatory requirements with 76%.

Note: Eustat would like to thank all the companies and institutions that have collaborated in preparing this survey for making this effort despite the circumstances. Without their collaboration it would not have been possible.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62