The data is collected in the last report of Asebio

Through the survey on technological innovation in enterprises carried out by the Ine, 659 companies engaged in activities related to biotechnology in Spain in 2006 have been identified. The turnover of these companies exceeds EUR 22,500 million and they employ more than 88.100 people, both variables are greater than 10 per cent growth. Expenditure on internal r & d in biotechnology has experienced a growth of 46 percent and is situated about 300 million euros. All this data were announced in the presentation of the latest annual report of the Spanish Association of Biocompanies (Asebio), last June in Madrid.

The work includes a study of the products released to the market for Spanish biotechnology companies in the last year for the first time. The analysis computes a total of 64 new products investigated, developed and marketed entirely by Spanish companies.

José María Fernández Sousa-Faro, Chairman of Asebio, stated during his speech: "Spain has become promoter of the biotechnology innovation and active agent, positioning itself as a competitive vector in Europe and starting to penetrate into other international markets such as the United States".

The Act of presentation of the report Asebio, attended by more than 300 guests, was chaired by Cristina Garmendia MENDIZABAL, Minister for science and innovation; Jesús Nuñez Velázquez, Member of the Executive Committee and counter of the CEOE; Juan Mulet, Director-General of Cotec and José María Fernández Sousa-Faro, Chairman of Asebio.

Presentation of the Asebio report at the end of June in Madrid.

Since the Association say that the index Asebio, the instrument valued annually since the year 2000 the 'temperature' of the sector, "remains for the third consecutive year in positive values reflecting an optimistic perception about the possibilities of biotechnology development in Spain". Moreover, the index was achieved in 2007 their second best record, correcting downward trend shown in 2006.

This positive result is mainly due to "a better perception of the sectoral strengths, quantified in the section on enhancers factors". The improvement in this section "outweighs even the slight rise they experience factors inhibitors, assimilable to barriers or weaknesses of the sector", according to Asebio.

The study of strategic priorities reflected in the Asebio report reveals "a main concern of businesses by allying with pharmaceutical and food". The Association has calculated a total of 79 alliances in 2007 starring Spanish biotechnology companies an increase of 52 per cent with respect to the poll conducted in 2006. Also, 75 new completely devoted to biotechnology companies, began its activity during the year 2007. Catalonia, with 27 per cent of the initiatives and Andalusia (20 percent) lead the creation of biotechnology company for second consecutive year.