Biotechnology Development in Spain: A Change of Paradigm?

This article presents a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the Spanish biotechnology sector, including its scientific, business, policy and social aspects. The study differentiates two sub-sectors, considered to be the most representative: Biopharma and Agro-food. The results show that biotechnology development in Spain has entered a new phase. Traditionally, research and development in Spain followed an unstructured path built around regional spaces and driven by factors and influences external to Spain. However, the emergence of a fast-growing sector of spin-off companies from the public research system, specifically in the Bio-pharma sector, point to a change of model of development of the industry, on the national as well as the regional level. The data also show the key role played by public policy in creating a suitable framework for innovation and point to the need to analyze the influence of social and cultural factors on the development of the biotechnology sector.