Spain

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Introduction

Spain contributes an estimated 4% of the world’s biotech-related scientific production, ranking 4th in the EU-15, only behind the UK, Germany and France. However, only 0.37% of the European biotech patents originated in Spain from 2000-2006; by this measure Spain ranks 11th among EU-15 countries. Red biotechnology accounts for 39% of the sector. The companies with transverse technology platforms with applications in more than one area make up 33% of the overall figure. Green biotech applications make up 18% of the market and industrial biotechnology for 10%. In the industrial biotech sector, the most outstanding applications belong to the bioenergy areas where Spain plays a key international role through biofuels manufacturing companies and where national biotech companies are becoming better positioned.

I. Research and Innovation

Modern industrial biotechnology is a relatively new discipline, with major areas of knowledge still to be explored. Public support to research as well as the establishment of pilot and demonstration facilities to scale-up individual processes will therefore help in the development of a European bio-based economy.

A. Public research funding

The Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the Fundación Española de Ciencia y Tecnología - FECyT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) are members as partner of the European Network Area on Industrial biotechnology (ERA-net IB).

Biotechnology has been identified as one of the 5 strategic areas (healthcare; energy and climate change; nanoscience and nanotechnology, new materials and new industrial processes; telecommunications and information society; biotechnology) in the Spanish National Plan for R&D&I 2008-2011. Calls for proposals will be opened for the Plan’s six instruments (human resources; R&D and innovation projects; institutional strengthening; science and technology infrastructures; knowledge use and technology transfer; system articulation and internationalisation).
The Action Plan’s budget for 2008-2011 is € 5.7 million; one third will be allocated to industrial biotechnology. This action was managed directly between ASEBIO and the Economic Office of the Spanish Presidency.

The autonomous community of Madrid developed its own Plan for regional development. One objective of the Plan is the promotion of technological innovation in the biotechnology sector. The total budget for 2008-2009 is €8 million.
There are other autonomous communities also active in industrial biotechnology including the Basque Country, Navarre, Galicia or Andalusia.

B. Pilot and demonstration plants

A descriptive list of pilot and demonstration plants in Spain is available here.

II. Policy

Public authorities can promote the quick take-up of industrial biotechnology innovations by implementing a number of “instruments” or policy initiatives. This can be the improvement of the regulatory framework; the integration of specification for bio-based products in public procurement; the establishment of standardisation, labelling and certification schemes to overcome perceived uncertainty about product properties and weak market transparency; the development of financial instruments and supports to increase investments into research, technology development and innovation as well as the elaboration of communication and information campaign to communicate the benefits of bio-based products to users.

A. Policies and regulations

No information.

B. Public procurement

Green procurement exclusively applies to public authorities.

The establishment of a specific national action plan for bio-based products is currently not an issue in the government administration.

C. Standardisation, labelling and certification

There is no standardisation, labelling or certification scheme dedicated to bio-based products.

D. Access to finance

Specific financing support for industrial biotechnology does not exist in Spain. However, several instrumental lines and programme (such as CENIT - National Strategic Consortia for Technical Research and NEOTEC: Creation of new companies of technological base in Spain) aim to help entrepreneurs in the establishment of companies.

E. Communication

Industrial biotechnology enterprises are represented by the national association Asebio.

In the framework of the Innoempresa programme, Asebio developed a communication campaign "La biotecnología como vector de competitividad en sectores maduros" (and). This initiative intends to present the different applications and benefits of biotechnology in our daily life as well as in different industrial sector.

ASEBIO, with the support of the Spanish Ministry for Industry (MITYC), has set an ambitious biotech applications communications programme getting the word out about biotech solutions available to Spain’s traditional industry sectors. The objective is to offer "bio-solutions" relating to: bioprocess (chemical, textile, foodstuff, pharmacy etc), quality control technologies, security and traceability based on biotechnology. A network of technological advisors has been created and will carry out technological analyses to determine where biotech solutions could be implemented.

With the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), ASEBIO organised an exhibition on biotechnology in our daily life and particularly in houses. “Your Biotech House” showed to visitors that biotechnology is already present in their daily life through domestic surroundings.

Main Sources

Asebio