BR09 BIOCAT REPORT ON THE STATE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, BIOMEDICINE AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IN CATALONIA © Biocat (Catalonia BioRegion Foundation) © for signed articles, the author BIOCAT Passeig Lluís Companys, 23 08010 Barcelona www.biocat.cat Authors: Nerea Alonso-Rodríguez, Laia Arnal, Manel Balcells, Josep Castells, Montse Daban, Adela Farré, Lluís Pareras, Marta Príncep, Pere Puigdomènech, Lluís Ruiz, Montserrat Vendrell. Coordination: Marta Príncep Published by: Biocat (Catalonia BioRegion Foundation) 1st edition: December 2009 Digital version. Available at: www.biocat.cat Design and layout: © Cromàtik Espai Creatiu This text may not be reproduced in whole or part without the express consent of the publisher (Biocat) and its authors. All rights to graphic design and artwork reserved. IB09 BIOCAT REPORT ON THE STATE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, BIOMEDICINE AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IN CATALONIA Table of contents Introduction 07 The importance of driving biotechnology as a countrywide strategy 09 Dr. Manel Balcells. President of the Biocat Executive Committee The strengths, weaknesses and challenges of a sector for the future 13 Dr. Montserrat Vendrell. CEO of Biocat Figures and scope 21 Trends and impact of biotechnology: opportunities for Catalonia 27 1. Biotechnology: trends and answers in a key sector of the economy 29 1.1. The biotech revolution 29 1.2. The biotech industry 29 1.3. The colors of biotech 32 1.4. Red biotech 33 1.5. Green biotech or agrifood: beyond GM foods 48 1.6. White biotech or industry: towards bioenergy 49 1.7. Biotechnology as a model for regional development: the cluster theory 50 2. Biotechnology applied to agriculture and food in Catalonia 53 Dr. Pere Puigdomènech. Director of the Center for Research in Agrigenomics (CRAG) 3. Industrial biotechnology (white): business opportunities in Catalonia 59 Dr. Josep Castells. President of the Science and Technology Institute (IUCT) 4. Challenges and tools for growth in the medical technology sector in Catalonia 65 Dr. Lluís Pareras. Head of Meditechnology, Barcelona Medical Association Analysis of companies and research centers 71 5. Introduction to the results 73 6. Types of organizations in the BioRegion 75 7. Analysis of companies 79 7.1 Overview 79 7.2. Main areas of activity 84 7.3. Research activities 90 7.4. Legal structure and capital 97 7.5. Human capital 103 7.6. Development area 105 7.7. Trends observed 106 8. Análisis de los centros de investigación 109 8.1. Overview 110 8.2. Areas of activity 113 8.3. Research activities 116 8.4. Resources 125 8.5. Human capital 126 8.6. Technology transfer 129 9. Conclusions 133 Bibliography and tables 137 Bibliography 139 Index of figures and tables 145 Glossary 149 Participating companies and centers 153 Survey filled out by participating companies and centers 155 Acknowledgements 166 BR09 Introduction The importance of driving biotechnology as a countrywide strategy INTRODUCTION Biotechnology can provide solutions to the needs related to human wellbeing in the future, which are linked to our planet’s ability to con- tinue to provide clean air and drinking water, productive land, diagnos- tic and treatment tools for common diseases, and energy for all human activity. Huge challenges lay ahead of us, to which biotechnology is already beginning to find solutions. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on investment in the United States in the third quarter of 2009, biotechnology (with 18.82% of investors) and medical technology (with 12.82%) are the first and fourth sectors, respectively, chosen by venture capitalists in this post- Dr. Manel Balcells crisis era. The energy and information and communication technology sectors were second and third, respectively. Biotechnology’s contribu- President of the Biocat tion is key to industry development and to progress. Europe, with the Executive Committee aim of competing with the USA and bringing together a critical mass that can compete in the knowledge-economy field, has decided to bet on the life sciences sector as a driver of the new economy, knowing that in the near future the healthcare and wellbeing market, which is key in 21st century society, will be dominated by biotech products. Innovation as a strategy Innovation is putting inventions on the market, making them productive, making them real solutions that gen- erate economic profit. As a strategy it is perfect: the whole country must commit to innovation. To do otherwise is not only to be left behind; it is to turn our back to the future. We already know that on a European level this is clear. It was clear in 2000, at the Lisbon summit, where it was first established that the road to competitiveness lies in the knowledge economy; in 2002, at the Barcelona summit, which confirmed the inevitable need to invest in the knowledge economy in order to be competitive in the future; in 2006, when cluster policy was included in the list of basic priorities for Europe; and finally, in 2009, with the publication of a recovery plan for the European economy that stresses investment in innovation. 9 What do we have in Catalonia and what are we doing to foster it? The Biocat road map The BioRegion of Catalonia is a highly attractive biocluster for the international sector due to its many assets, strategic location, and skills in nanotechnology, clinical research, structural biology and technology platforms, applied in key fields like oncology, neurosciences, personalized medicine and cardiovascular diseases. The international sector has high hopes for the BioRegion, as they see Barcelona being one of the key cities in the global biotech panorama in the next years. This is made clear at events like the BIO convention, in the United States, where Catalonia stood out (in 2009, 50% of Spanish participation was from Catalonia. Spain had the third largest participation, behind France and Germany and ahead of Canada). There is no other region in Spain BIOCAT REPORT 2009 REPORT BIOCAT with more potential than Catalonia: political participation, critical mass of researchers, prestigious universi- ties, hospitals with proven research, developed science and technology parks, a renowned biotechnology industry, and the commitment of all participants involved. In many ways, we are the leading biocluster model in Spain, as shown in the last two reports published by the Spanish biotech association Asebio. Biocat, the organization driven by the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council that coordi- nates, promotes and drives the BioRegion –the Catalan biocluster– has a joint strategy for the life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical technology, diagnostic systems and bioinformatics sectors with the aim of concentrating, innovating and identifying need and solutions; with the desire to react to opportunities and promote synergies, networking and collaborations. In short, we aim to make our research and innovation sectors drive the economy and position Catalonia and Barcelona at the forefront of the international stage. In order to foster what we have in Catalonia, we work in strategic and operational areas, providing solutions, establishing joint aims, acting as knowledge partners and signing specific collaboration agreements. It is not only a strategy to drive the sector: we establish the whole value chain, identify areas where it may be neces- sary and possible to act, and do this with everything from large-scale innovation service infrastructures to networking sessions, strategic plans for the sector, specific training programs or internationalization grants. Biocat’s actions to channel large-scale, countrywide projects are reflected, for example, in the creation of the Biopol consortium, negotiations to establish the Spanish headquarters of the Genome Sequencing Labora- tory in Catalonia, and support from the National and Regional Governments to create an office to present Catalonia’s bid to become a hub of the European Institute of Technology. In order to consolidate the sector, Biocat has driven projects both on our own and in collaboration with other organizations. We have signed agreements with the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the Barcelona Medi- cal Association, Barcelona Activa, ACC1Ó, ASERM (Spanish Rapid Manufacturing Association), CataloniaBio, Fenin, KimBCN, Asebio and Genoma España, among others. These agreements aim to promote entrepre- neurship, coordinate internationalization efforts in the sector, draft strategic plans for the sector, design train- ing programs and collaborate on improving and commercializing research. In our international promotion activities, we work with the administration to make Barcelona and Catalonia a biomedical hub, putting our capital in the circuit of cities that hold the sector’s key events, which can help our companies find partners and international funding, such as the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and the Interbio project of the SUDOE Interreg Program (Southwest Europe Area). Biocat is also a member of the Council of European Bioregions (CEBR) and has signed collaboration agreements with homologous groups in Quebec (Canada), USA, India and Australia. 10 Now we need a national innovation policy Due to the economic crisis, despite recommendations from the European Commission in their economic recovery plan encouraging investment in innovation, significant cutbacks in this area are still taking place in Spain. According to the indicators, the crisis has affected the budget and in 2010 Spain will have fewer resourc- es (3% overall decrease in R&D&i). This