AseBio advocates for collaboration and technology transfer as drivers of the biotechnology sector

At AseBio, we firmly advocate for the importance of collaboration and technology transfer as fundamental pillars for the development of the biotechnology ecosystem in Spain. This is a high-impact sector that not only contributes to improving our health and the planet's sustainability but also drives economic growth and job creation. In 2022, the activity of biotech companies generated over 16.6 billion euros in income, accounting for 1.5% of the national GDP. Additionally, tax revenue reached 6.48 billion euros (0.6% of GDP), and the sector contributed 162,845 jobs, representing 0.85% of total employment.

Many of the companies that now make up this sector originated from a research line within a public institution, as collaboration and transfer are the most common ways to create biotech companies. In this regard, the transfer of intellectual property rights from Public Research Organizations, public universities, and entities dependent on the General State Administration to private companies is one of the mechanisms through which technology transfer occurs.

R&D&I is the core of the business model for biotech companies, whose disruptive innovations, despite their significant impact on social welfare, the economy, and planetary sustainability, rely on highly regulated and complex markets. As a result, biotech companies face long maturation cycles and must endure several years of investment without generating revenue to sustain themselves, alongside a high risk of failure due to working at the forefront of science. Moreover, highly indebted companies are less attractive to investors and face greater challenges in securing private funding. That is why public support is a key financing avenue for biotech companies. Many of these public funds promote the formation of public-private consortia to foster collaboration between public institutions and companies, improve connections, build trust, and maximize the impact of investment in science and technological development, while reducing the uncertainty of early-stage innovations.

Biotechnological innovation is based on technology transfer and collaboration among the various agents in the ecosystem, who must work in alignment to transform cutting-edge research into real solutions that reach patients in the form of treatments, vaccines, or diagnostic solutions. Technology transfer and collaboration are the foundations for scientific investment to have a real impact on society. In this context, the Science Law incentivizes knowledge transfer, and biotech companies have specialized in bridging one of the most critical gaps in the transfer chain: turning scientific discoveries into technology.

This Law highlights the excellent research activity in our country but also underscores the challenge of translating scientific knowledge into productive structures that ultimately become real solutions for society — a concern also raised by the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Therefore, the 2022 Science Law established mechanisms to encourage researchers to publish research results in open access and carry out knowledge transfer, as well as to provide tools and eliminate obstacles to facilitate the process. In addition to research achievements, the law incorporates knowledge transfer accomplishments as measurable criteria for remuneration and promotion. Specifically, to incentivize technology transfer and reward personnel whose results generate impact through these activities, the law states that researchers and technical staff from Public Research Organizations must receive at least one-third of the benefits obtained from the exploitation of research activity results.

In this context, at AseBio, we consider it essential for academia to continue progressing in its capacity to transfer science and knowledge, with a vision that strengthens this capacity to foster increasingly effective relationships with the business sector. Transfer is crucial to ensure that all investments made in science have a real impact on society, and for this, it is vital not only to understand the science produced within academia but also to grasp its potential and development, as well as the needs and interests of biotech companies.