Barcelona and the healthcare sector: one of Europe’s most dynamic ecosystems
published on 22.06.21
More than 1,200 companies and some 900 research and innovation entities make up Barcelona’s health sciences ecosystem, one of the most dynamic in Europe. The importance of the sector, which represents more than 7% of the Catalan GDP, makes many companies in this field choose the capital to set up.
In addition, both the public and private sectors are working to consolidate and grow this ecosystem. Several initiatives have recently been launched in this regard, such as the candidacy to become the headquarters of the European Health Emergencies Agency or the Barcelona Health Booster accelerator.
Candidate to host the European Health Emergencies Agency
The pandemic has highlighted the difficulties in managing a health crisis of this magnitude. For this reason, the European Commission has pushed for the creation of a new agency capable of curbing future pandemics. This agency needs a city that offers an ecosystem of companies and health-related research centers to develop, a city that could be the Catalan capital. Barcelona has recently presented its candidacy to host the headquarters of this new European Health Emergencies Agency. The project, which is expected to be up and running by 2023, aims to unite the public sector with the private sector.
Barcelona Health Booster: promoting innovative startups in the sector
Along the same lines and with the aim of consolidating the Barcelona ecosystem, Barcelona Health Booster is born. Barcelona Health Booster is an accelerator that aims to promote start-ups in the health sector. It is an initiative of the Barcelona City Council together with the Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona Activa, and Biocat. The aim is to promote innovation in the field of health, while at the same time boosting the necessary investment in research. The program is aimed specifically at young companies, established less than five years ago, which develop pharmaceutical, biotechnological, or medical device products.
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