Press Release 16/12/2021

STATISTICS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY R&D. 2020

Expenditure on biotechnology R&D in the Basque Country reached 126.6 million euros in 2020, after increasing by 2.6%

77% of expenditure on biotechnology R&D was carried out in the field of human health and the majority of full-time staff were women, 58% of the total

In 2020, expenditure on internal R&D for activities related to biotechnology increased to 126.6 million euros, 2.6% higher than in 2019, according to Eustat data. This expenditure accounted for 8.5% of the total expenditure on internal R&D.

The number of employed personnel stood at 2,316, which represented 1,522 people in full-time equivalent jobs (FTE). These FTE personnel increased by 3.3% compared to the previous year, with which FTE personnel dedicated to biotechnology R&D represented 7.8% of FTE personnel dedicated to R+D. 1,141 people in FTE worked as researchers, which represented an increase of 3.1% 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 58.2% of the total full-time staff employed in biotechnology in 2020.

A total of 100 entities, 94 of them companies, carried out research activities in biotechnology in 2020. Moreover, 72 of these 100 entities dedicated 100% of their internal R&D expenditure to biotechnology.

68.3% of expenditure on internal biotechnology R&D came from the Business sector

The Business sector concentrated the highest percentage of total expenditure on internal biotechnology R&D, 68.3%, a similar proportion to that of 2019 (68.1%).

The other sectors, Higher Education (27.2%) and Public Administration (4.5%), carried out 31.7% of the remaining expenditure for 2020, a percentage that stood at 31.9% in 2019.

The public administration financed 52.9% of internal biotechnology R&D

According to the origin of the funds, internal R&D activities relating to biotechnology in 2020 were mainly financed with funds from the Public Administration, 52.9%, and Businesses, 35.0%. The remainder was financed via funds originating from Overseas (8.7%), from Higher Education (1.9%) and Private Non-Profit Institutions (1.5%).

As regards the areas of application for the products obtained as a result of biotechnology research, of particular note was Human Health with 77.2% of total expenditure. It was followed at some distance by Food, with 7.3%. The remaining 15.5% was divided in similar percentages between the other areas - Animal Health & Aquaculture, Environment, Industry 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 biotechnology R&D activities in 2020, of particular note were Time/cost and Access to capital, with 88% and 85%, respectively. In third place were regulatory requirements, with 78%.

Note: Eustat would like to thank all the companies and institutions that have collaborated in preparing this survey, the information for which was gathered between April and October 2021, for the effort made. 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