Biosciences are growing strong in the Basque Country, with a new company created every 3 months since the launch of the BioBasque 2010 strategy. BioBasque is home to more than 65 companies, the core being so-called biocompanies, R&D intensive, that follow a niche strategy to compete globally. These firms offer direct employment to around 1.300 people and represent a total turnover of over 300 million €. This figures grow five-fold when counting other companies with a strong interest in life science but not particularly active in R&D (mainly users of biotech).

The human health area concentrates most of the companies, employment, R&D investment and turnover. Many firms operate along the biopharmaceutical value chain, from discovery, screening and validation to development, clinical assays and commercialisation. There are particular strengths in biomarkers and diagnostic activity, in Personalised Medicine. Other companies develop new chemical entities, offer in vivo High Content Screening, produce cells and biomolecules with therapeutic activities, provide contract research and manufacturing expertise, or commercialise bioinformatic software. An additional group of companies work on Biomaterials, Medical devices, Orthopaedics, Implantology and Regenerative Medicine. Some are developing new applications derived from nanobiotechnology, including drug delivery.

Outside the health area, companies use industrial biotechnology approaches to commercialise products or processes for a great variety of sectors, including the agro-food and beverages, cosmetic, chemical and environmental. An increasing number of companies are developing biosensors and related equipment, supported by the Bioregion expertise in manufacturing, engineering and converging technologies.

The biocluster is geared by the new entrants, start-ups that most frequently have their origin in the private sector or in the university and research centres, reflecting the entrepreneurial tradition and a good base not only able to produce scientific outputs but also capable of giving rise and nurturing technology-based companies.

The sector company structure is maturing: agile start-ups are complemented by solid, well established companies and consolidation phenomena are already taking place, reflected in the creation of the first biobusiness corporations, mostly due to serial entrepreneurs that not only act as role models, but contribute to the creation and growth of firms.

A pro-business environment and finance opportunities are helping the biocluster to grow, to internationalise operations and to compete in a global market. Some firms already follow growth golden standard and are leaders in their respective markets: Personalised Medicine, Bioinformatics, Implantology and Regenerative Medicine.

Professional firms with Life science savvy personnel including legal and financial advice, Intellectual Property experts, consultants, Engineeering and Construction provide the general support to the biocluster core.