Why is the establishment of a High Commissioner for Deep Strategic Technologies crucial for the future of the Spanish biotechnological industry?

Last September, AseBio launched the campaign "Vida a la biotecnología" (Life to Biotechnology). An initiative aimed at highlighting and bringing visibility to biotechnology as a highly innovative and strategic industry in our country, at a crucial moment for Europe.

The main needs of the sector were outlined in the Commitment we drafted, which is based on six pillars: the recognition of biotechnology as a key sector for the strategic autonomy of Spain and Europe; the establishment of a fund for strategic deep technologies to strengthen and maximize the potential of the Spanish biotechnological industry; the acceleration of the market entry of biotechnological innovations with specific instruments and regulation appropriate to their nature and impact; the promotion of talent for the biotechnological industry of the future; the promotion of biotechnological R&D through collaborative models and appropriate incentives; and the strengthening of the role of the Public Administration as a driving force for innovation.

The first steps of the campaign were taken at a turning point for the future of Europe. Recent events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the challenges posed by climate change, among others, have highlighted the existence of strategic dependencies that have led the European Union to prioritize its autonomy as one of its main goals. A horizon marked as a priority by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which has not only brought to the public agenda its vulnerabilities and dependencies but also the need for a decisive commitment to the promotion of strategic technologies that strengthen the Union's leadership.

In this sense, deep technologies are key to providing answers in an environment where innovations occur rapidly and have a significant impact on people's lives. The European Commission confirmed this in early October by classifying four strategic areas for the future of the Union as 'crucial': biotechnology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology. These four technologies have been selected due to the risks of dependencies and threats but also because of their transformative nature and potential to drive radical changes.

Given the step taken by Brussels and in a context where the challenges and opportunities faced by governments are increasingly complex and require joint action from all actors and levels of government, AseBio, the Spanish Association of the Semiconductor Industry (AESEMI), the Cotec Foundation, and Secpho, a technological innovation cluster, have joined forces as representatives in Spain of the various deep strategic technologies highlighted by the European Commission to request the creation of a High Commissioner for Deep Strategic Technologies from the new Government.

The Importance of Deep Technologies 

Deep tech refers to technologies linked to advanced science or engineering that provide solutions to global problems. They are characterized by their high complexity and the substantial cost of innovation, which can take years to reach the market. Additionally, they often require large amounts of investment and entail high risks.

Deep technologies differ from other types of innovations because they have significant entry barriers, yet they enable substantial advancements with a significant impact on society and industry. It is worth noting that their disruptive potential and transformative capacity make them strategic in terms of innovation, well-being, and social and economic progress.

In the case of Spain, deep tech remains a pending matter for our R&D system. Despite the Next Generation funds providing an unprecedented boost to our science and innovation system through tools such as PERTE (allowing our country to reach 1.43% of GDP in R&D investment), the truth is that this effort has had an uneven impact on deep tech industries, which are rich in advanced scientific knowledge and have significant entry barriers.

In a context where these innovations are occurring rapidly, Spain needs to modernize programs and instruments that enable harnessing our scientific and technological potential, transforming it into emerging companies that develop profound innovations to ensure the prosperity of our country.

Why is it the time for a High Commissioner for Deep Strategic Technologies?

This is an instrument that responds to specific needs as outlined throughout these lines and serves to work strategically and collaboratively around concrete challenges. One of the greatest benefits of implementing these initiatives is to create a general governance framework around a specific issue and promote social and political awareness about it.

The current context is conducive to the establishment of the High Commissioner for Deep Strategic Technologies as a lever to drive the legacy of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Startup Law, as a tool to position technology in our country, and to boost the Strategic Autonomy of Europe. It aims to support the efforts of the European Commission and maintain the momentum facilitated by the Next-Gen funds.