#BIOSPAIN2025 | “An opportunity to share vision, generate impact, and work on building the future of biotechnology and the pharmaceutical sector”

strategic factor to ensure innovation, agility, and quality in the development and manufacturing of biological products. In a sector where collaboration, scalability, and technical excellence make the difference between clinical phases and reaching the market, having a specialized partner is decisive.

On these challenges reflects Albert Font, CEO of Leanbio, a company with more than a decade of experience and over 100 molecules developed, which has positioned itself as a benchmark in advanced technological solutions for biologics. In an interview framed within BIOSPAIN 2025, which will take place from October 7 to 9 in Barcelona, Font analyzes how innovation, resilience, and strategic collaboration with startups, research centers, and biopharmaceutical companies are transforming the ecosystem.

As a Platinum Sponsor of this edition, Leanbio reinforces with its support the sector’s commitment to advancing toward more sustainable, flexible, and competitive models, accompanying the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in the development of therapies that improve people’s health.

AseBio. What does building a high-performance CDMO ecosystem mean for LEANBIO, and what elements do you consider essential to achieve it?

Albert Font. For Leanbio, being part of this ecosystem allows us to contribute to one of the value chains that generates the most significant positive impact on society. Being strategic partners in the biopharmaceutical sector, both with local and international partners, enables us to contribute to the increase of economic and social value through biotechnology as a disruptive element in people’s health.

We are capable of offering development and manufacturing capacity for technologically advanced products for research use, clinical phase, or commercialization, generating synergies with companies in the sector to continue nurturing the technological fabric. Investing in innovation and quality, and collaborating with startups, research centers, pharmaceutical product manufacturers, clinical CROs, or pharmaceutical marketing companies, among others, are the essential elements to ensure a positive impact on society and people’s health.

AseBio. What differentiates LEANBIO from other CDMOs in terms of innovation, agility, and customer value?

Albert Font. The CDMO sector in biologics is highly competitive and requires a high level of specialization. Leanbio stands out for offering technological capacity based on our platforms, which allows us to generate targeted and agile solutions for our clients (Lean), together with the knowledge accumulated over more than 10 years driving our clients’ programs, in such a way that we minimize risks, costs, and timelines in successful projects. Likewise, we offer flexible approaches that adapt to our clients’ needs, generating maximum value at each development stage. Technical and quality excellence are two other fundamental elements in competitive differentiation.

We believe that a CDMO company must go beyond standard manufacturing capability and focus on high-value niches, technological innovation, comprehensive services, agility, and sustainability. These are the values we offer to the client. Resilience is another important differentiating factor and, of course, always keeping the client and their program at the center of everything. We must not forget that the ultimate goal is to improve patients’ health and that for many of them these drugs will represent a before and after in their quality of life.

AseBio. How does LEANBIO collaborate with startups, research centers, and biopharmaceutical companies to strengthen the biotechnology ecosystem?

Albert Font. While the manufacturing plant is located in St. Quirze del Vallès, about 25 minutes from Barcelona, the development facilities have always been at the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB), an international benchmark for its ability to bring together in one space leading research centers, biopharmaceutical startups, and service companies. This allows us to be in direct contact and collaborate by developing specific solutions that respond to the needs of our clients’ projects.
By integrating as a strategic partner in the scaling and manufacturing phases, we facilitate access to advanced technology and an experienced human team. Likewise, we generate collaborations with biotech and pharmaceutical companies that need support in know-how or technological capacities for the development, scaling, and industrialization of APIs in biologics. Our goal is to offer our experience and facilities for the development of their products and projects. We contribute to the ecosystem a highly specialized service for companies that want to outsource development or commercialize these molecules as part of their pipeline.

AseBio. What technological and human capacities position LEANBIO as a strategic partner for the development of biological products?

Albert Font. We have successfully collaborated in the development of more than 100 molecules, some of them in clinical phases, which is an excellent calling card of our experience and execution capacity. We have a highly qualified team, facilities capable of development and manufacturing in microbial, mammalian, and bioconjugations in OEB5, and cutting-edge technologies to support both non-GMP and GMP phases. Our proven track record and technology position us as a long-term strategic partner, accompanying our clients throughout the product lifecycle, from R&D to commercial manufacturing.

AseBio. How does LEANBIO address the current challenges in the development and manufacturing of complex biological products?

Albert Font. We believe that technological, operational, and regulatory challenges are addressed with operational excellence, an adaptive mindset to project needs and complexities, flexibility, communication skills, and deep regulatory knowledge that ensures meeting the requirements of each collaboration. All projects can combine diverse challenges. One of the main challenges is meeting our clients’ objectives in time and cost, without compromising quality. Leanbio’s lean approach has in its DNA the optimization of processes and timelines, applying robust manufacturing and quality control methodologies that ensure complete traceability. In this way, we anticipate potential problems that may arise, mitigating risks and maximizing the chances of success.

AseBio. What role do quality, traceability, and efficiency play in your operating model?

Albert Font. Quality is the fundamental pillar of our model, and it is non-negotiable. Traceability ensures the integrity of each stage of the process. All without losing sight of efficiency and robustness, which is what allows us to be a trusted partner for our clients. A robust quality system is the backbone that ensures products are safe, effective, and reliable, protects the patient, and maintains compliance with international regulations.

AseBio. How does LEANBIO integrate sustainability into its processes and what impact does this have on its relationships with clients and partners?
Albert Font. We integrate sustainability practices into all our operations, from process design to the selection of industrial equiment used in our facilities. Our goal is to reduce the carbon footprint through the responsible use of resources and equipment, as well as in the generation and management of waste. In the design and construction of our API manufacturing plant for human use, this has been a fundamental element, enabling reductions in water and energy consumption. This commitment strengthens our position as a sustainable company and makes us a partner that shares sustainability, environmental, and social responsibility goals with its clients.

AseBio. What growth or expansion plans does LEANBIO have in the coming years, both nationally and internationally?
Albert Font. We want to continue working with European and American clients, and continue expanding and consolidating these strategic relationships. We have considerably expanded our productive and technological capabilities to become a benchmark in biologics manufacturing. Offering from early development phases to more advanced stages, we can include in our services the manufacturing of innovative products and biosimilars ready for commercialization in regulated markets. Leanbio is now a global partner for high-impact projects.

AseBio. What motivated LEANBIO to sponsor BIOSPAIN 2025?
Albert Font. We are a reliable partner for the manufacturing of innovative and high-value biotechnological products. We want to be leaders in promoting a sector that generates a positive impact on people, and we believe the best way to do this is by contributing to the local ecosystem. BIOSPAIN is a key platform to spread this message, create high-value synergies, and contribute to the consolidation of Spanish and European territory within the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.

AseBio. What expectations do you have for your participation in BIOSPAIN 2025 and what type of collaborations do you hope to foster during the event?

Albert Font. We hope to actively contribute to the development of the national biopharmaceutical sector, consolidating interactions with clients, suppliers, and strategic partners across the entire value chain. Our goal is to build strong long-term relationships that drive innovation, competitiveness, and international projection of the sector. Likewise, BIOSPAIN will serve to evaluate trends, and it is an opportunity to share vision, generate impact, and work on building the future of biotechnology and the pharmaceutical sector.