Spain urges the EU to place biotechnology at the core of its Industrial Strategy

Europe must place biotechnology, entrepreneurship, and green industries at the center of its industrial strategy. This was the main message delivered by Jordi Hereu, Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism, on July 18 at the Informal Competitiveness Council held in Copenhagen.

The Minister emphasized the key role biotechnology plays in addressing challenges such as climate change, the development of new vaccines and therapies, and the strengthening of supply chains. His stance aligns with that of the European Commission (EC), which has identified the biotech sector as a strategic pillar for the future of the European Union (EU) and essential for achieving strategic autonomy.

Support for innovative biotech SMEs—43% of Spain’s biotech sector, with micro-enterprises making up 52%—is the cornerstone of Hereu’s proposals. He advocates for simplifying regulations without compromising safety, expanding the EU’s bioproduction capacity, and improving intellectual property protection.

In this regard, he proposed a flexible European investment plan and called for accelerated market access through a legal framework tailored to biotechnology. He highlighted Spain’s PROFARMA program as a model for all of Europe.

Regarding entrepreneurship, he championed the use of “regulatory sandboxes” as tools for allowing legislation to keep pace with innovation. He proposed creating a common European framework for such sandboxes, identifying which regulatory aspects can be safely tested, and allowing temporary exemptions in R&D and production. He also stressed that unlocking Europe’s innovation potential requires eliminating current fragmentation, encouraging collaboration between universities and industry, and better aligning public support mechanisms.

During the plenary session, Hereu urged Europe to strengthen its response to the structural challenges faced by the clean technology industry. While initiatives like the Net-Zero Industry Act are positive, he noted that "accelerating permits or subsidizing initial investments is not enough—we need to act on operating costs and ensure fair competition conditions against imports that do not meet European standards."

In line with this vision, Spain is proposing several key measures: boosting domestic demand by applying sustainability and European content criteria in auctions and public procurement; improving critical infrastructure such as power grids and interconnections; tackling unfair competition practices; and ensuring effective enforcement of existing regulations. Spain also proposes closer EU-industry collaboration through a joint strategy that includes the sector, and linking public support to safe and sustainable production processes within European territory.

Finally, Hereu emphasized the need to create a favorable environment to attract industrial investment, ensure access to critical raw materials, and strengthen supply chain resilience. “Europe has the opportunity to become a global leader in green industrial capacity. We must not let this opportunity pass,” concluded the Minister.

At AseBio, we view these proposals very positively. They not only reflect the work and demands we have been promoting within the sector, but also address many of our key needs. Biotechnology is a strategic industry for tackling Europe’s major current and future challenges and ensuring its strategic autonomy. Therefore, it is essential that the new European industrial policy fully integrates biotechnology as a driver of innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability.