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Development capacity index for biotech companies

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Determining the capacity of the biotech sector

An EU initiative collected data on biotech companies to exploit the potential of the biotech sector in new EU Member States.

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Little comparative data on the biotech company sector exists across Europe, especially in the new Member States. Fragmentation of the industry into sectors, regions and disciplines hampers the clear overview of the sector and its potential. Gathering data on biotech companies will identify gaps and trends and enable them to flourish. Additionally, the public availability of this information will attract venture funds and investors, increasing the viability of the sector. With all these in mind, the EU-funded ‘Development capacity index for biotech companies’ (INDECS-H) collected data to build a development capacity index (DCI) of biotech companies in new EU Member States and Candidate Countries. Databases for countries and contacts of stakeholders were created and hosted on websites. A development capacity index was also built using both quantitative factors, such as the number of companies present and research and development (R&D) spending, and qualitative factors, such as the level of government support. The countries were then divided into four development levels and a set of policy recommendations was drafted for the national and EU levels. The recommendations included funding opportunities, intellectual property rights and technology transfer. All this information was set up on the EuropaBio website and was advertised through social media, press releases and newsletters. EuropaBio assisted national biotech associations in the new EU Member States to develop their national support strategy. Overall, the INDECS-H project managed to map biotech companies in EU’s new Member and Candidate States. This provided significant insight into each country’s relative strengths and weaknesses in the biotech sector and highlighted the growth potential of national industries. Project findings are expected to enable intervention by policymakers and private capital, and aid fruitful collaborations within Europe.

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