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Spanish biotech companies in the top three position in successful projects
EuropaBio and ASEBIO, the Spanish Biotechnology Association, have co-hosted a roundtable for SMEs in Madrid, Spain.

The roundtable, which takes place towards the end of European SME Week, aims to focus on the European Framework Programmes and improving financing. EuropaBio, which represents 1800 Biotech SMEs, is committed to working together with its National Associations such as ASEBIO, to tackling the unique set of challenges that these organisations face in becoming financially sustainable.

One of the main conclusions of this workshop is that Spain has a good scientific basis but there is not enough capital for biotech companies. Despite of this, Spanish biotech companies are in the top three position in presenting successful projects to VII Framework Programmes, behind Germany and France, as commented Barend Verachtert, DG Research of European Commision.

Commenting on the event, Tom Saylor, Chair of EuropaBio’s SME Platform said: “Biotech SMEs represent an important pillar of the knowledge-based economy. However, they require long timetables and considerable financial resources to capture the value of Europe's strong scientific capabilities. While Europe generates a large number of biotech SMEs very few reach significant points of value. SME Week offers the opportunity to bring focus to the crucial role that biotechnology plays in ensuring a strong future economy for Europe.”

One year on from the publication of EuropaBio’s paper ‘Access to Finance: A Call for Action’ this workshop will provide an overview of the improvements and the remaining challenges faced by these enterprises. Special focus will be placed on FP7 with the presentation of a set of recommendations on how to adjust the European Framework Programmes to meet the specific needs of biotech SMEs.

Isabel García, ASEBIO’s Secretary General affirmed that “the biotechnology plays a key role in the production model change and has a particular position as a knowledge-based economy. As we know, biotechnology generates knowledge, employment and wealth for society through new energy sources, new therapies, diagnostics and, of course, chances of recovery and economic growth. It is vital to ensure the present and future of research on the companies with a more established route, especially SMEs, the motor of Europe, whose funding comes from the hand of their capital, in the case of companies with long cycles of maturation”.

EuropaBio and ASEBIO have the objective to facilitate the sustainability of intensive companies in technology and research through high-impact measures, such as:

• On one hand, refund (or return) of tax deductions not applied in previous years and prepayment of these deductions for R & D, encouraging investors to greater incentives of the R & D. We believe it is essential to adopt benchmarks to enable these measures to refresh investment and reactivate investment in research and innovation.

• On the other hand: improving SMEs participation in FP7



“We need a correct finance system, more autonomous, more flexible and also more efficient and much less bureaucratic”, explain Isabel García.


Nathalie Moll, EuropaBio’s Secretary General concluded: “For small organisations these groups play a big role in generating some of Europe’s most valuable biotech innovation. They are built and formed by some of the most visionary, dedicated scientists and researchers that Europe has to offer and they will be instrumental in finding solutions to some of our most pressing healthcare, energy, environmental and food security challenges. Tomorrow represents an important opportunity for us to work together towards provide EU financial lifelines for these organisations through adapting FP7 consortium requirements and directing calls for proposals towards SMEs with better levels of funding.”

Beatriz Palomo, project coordinator of ASEBIO, explained the objectives of the Unit of International Innovation (UII) of ASEBIO with the CDTI support, that consist in promoting the participation in the VII Programme Framework and to support in the internationalization of the R&D from different companies of the Spanish biotech sector. Innovation Consulting and Technological Centre for the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry (IUCT) work with ASEBIO in this area. This Unit offers aid to the companies to get the public financing (The MITyC and MEC assemblies, Autonomous Communities or APC + of the CDTI), and to detect new European consortiums in formation process to enlarge the participation possibilities.

ASEBIO has helped eight entities to presents their projects with the International Innovation Unit launched by the Association in 2007, and we hope to increase this number for the following years.

Of the 115 ASEBIO members that can participate in this program, 50 have submitted projects that have been granted by the European Commission in the 6th and 7TH Framework Programmes (8 companies like project leaders and 42 as partners).


Esther Campos, from the International Department of ASEBIO, finished “The workshop has tried to provide a benchmarking exercise with examples of best practices and for an exchange of views between the companies, the national and European institutions and financial organizations”.

Date of publication: 09/06/2010