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Biotechnology Industry
From Start-Up to Grown-Up – Biotech “Made in Germany” Has Come of Age
A quick glance at the numbers below and you’ll see: red biotech in Germany is roaring! Our biotech industry is a driving force in Europe, both in terms of corporate representation and capacity to generate new – and profitable – intellectual property. This drive comes from mature companies as well as young, talented, and ambitious ones. Industry, government, and academia are working together to push this industry even further ahead. Seeing so much promise, venture capital has hitched its wagons to German biotech as well. Take a longer look at these numbers, and you just might find that you’ll want “Made in Germany” printed on your biotech product, too!
Our Industry in Numbers (2006)
- # 1 market for biopharmaceuticals in EU, # 2 worldwide
- EUR 3.13 billion in biopharmaceuticals sales (12% of total market)
- 163 registered biopharmaceuticals, more than 320 in clinical testing
- 500 companies, 366 focused on biomedicines
- 30,000 employees, 12,973 employees in biotech core companies
Our Advantages
MARKET - Germany is the largest single market for biopharmaceuticals within the EU and ranks second worldwide behind the US. In 2006 alone, 29 molecular entities and 115 genetically manufactured pharmaceuticals were introduced to the German market.
INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE - We have more than 500 biotechnology companies and more than 350 in the biomedicines field. The industry is mainly characterized by small companies with few employees − most companies have less than 30 employees. The largest biotech clusters are located around Munich and Berlin, as well as in the area of the Rhine-Neckar Triangle (Heidelberg) and North Rhine-Westphalia.
PERSONNEL - Germany has proportionally more natural science Ph.D.s than the US or Japan. Its highly skilled workforce is composed of 630,000 employed and self-employed doctors and 720,000 engineers, chemists, physicists, and mathematicians. 73,500 graduates in biology, chemistry, medicine, and engineering – and about 8,000 graduates in the field of biotechnology – are ready to work for you.
R&D - German biotechnology ranks only behind the US, with 399 patents granted in 2006. Germany’s research landscape consists of 343 universities and over 330 research institutes, such as the Fraunhofer and Max Planck Societies, which cooperate with companies in discovering new products and bringing them to market.
INCENTIVES - From 2006 to 2009, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research plans to spend EUR 1.2 billion on life science research, of which EUR 430 million will be directed to biotech research.
VENTURE CAPITAL - Since 1996, EUR 2.7 billion in venture capital have been invested in Germany’s biotech industry. Ernst & Young reports that, with EUR 213 million, Germany ranked third compared to other European countries in terms of venture capital investments in 2006.
PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE – We offer an extensive and comprehensive logistics infrastructure that integrates state-of-the-art transportation networks with the most modern telematics, IT, and telecommunications systems.
STABLE INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT – Social, economic, and political stability provide a solid base for your corporate projects. Our judiciary and civil services are highly professional. Contractual agreements are secure, and intellectual property is strictly protected in Germany.
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