[Europe] Focus on Biotech and Health Innovation in Galicia

We invite you to discover the Galician ecosystem through our partner BIOGA, the ‘Life Sciences and Biotechnology’ cluster located in Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

How is the European region of Galicia innovative in the fields of biotechnology and health?

Galicia is an Atlantic bioregion located in north-western Spain, with a highly integrated Life Sciences and Biotechnology ecosystem combining scientific excellence, industrial capacity and a robust public health system. Its priority value chains cover health/pharmaceutical innovation, marine and aquaculture biotechnology, food biotechnology and the bioeconomy in the broadest sense, promoting cross-sector innovation and industrial transformation.

In the field of health and pharmaceuticals, Galicia stands out for its drug discovery and screening capabilities, including compound libraries connected to European infrastructures. The region also offers a favourable environment for personalised medicine thanks to precision oncology and strong clinical research environments.

In industrial biotechnology, Galicia is making rapid progress in bioprocesses and alternative proteins stimulated by fermentation, industrial-scale production and the value chains of the blue and food bioeconomy.

Galicia’s strengths and challenges

Galicia’s main asset lies in the connectivity of its ecosystem between science, health and industry. The region has a solid knowledge base and coordination structures (3 universities, CIGUS research centres, health research foundations, technology centres and cluster networks) that facilitate collaboration and technology transfer.
This translates into credible capabilities for international partnerships in pharmaceuticals and health, supported by advanced infrastructure that facilitates clinical research, translation and an environment conducive to innovation in health, enabling validation in real-world conditions and adoption.

Galicia also benefits from a robust foundation in the blue economy and marine sciences, giving it a competitive advantage in marine biotechnology and aquaculture innovation.

The industrial biotechnology profile is intensifying, with bioprocesses increasingly linked to scalable applications in food systems and new ingredients (particularly alternative proteins). At the same time, the region is structuring its portfolio around discovery and translation: screening platforms, drug discovery capabilities and a clinical environment conducive to personalised medicine approaches.

The challenges remain those of an emerging bioregion with strong potential: ensuring continuity of international investment at all stages, accelerating industrial demonstration/scale-up, and transforming encounters into sustainable pipelines of R&D collaboration and commercial development.

Galicia would benefit from strengthening its connections with major international groups and investors, developing soft-landing mechanisms and co-development programmes, as well as mission-oriented cross-border partnerships — as illustrated by BIOGA’s international agenda and the cooperation framework with North Carolina.

What does the Galician innovation ecosystem look like?

The Galician innovation ecosystem brings together a growing number of start-ups and scale-ups, powerful research hubs (universities and centres of excellence such as CiQUS, CiMUS, CINBIO, CiTIUS, CIM, CICA) and a dense network of clusters connecting science to the market: BIOGA, CSG (health), CLUSAGA (agri-food), VIRATEC, ANFACO-CYTMA, Cluster Aquaculture.

Notable initiatives such as IBERO_BIO, EDIH DATAlife and BIOCHAINS Atlantic are strengthening international cooperation, digital transformation and Atlantic value chains based on the bioeconomy, transforming R&D assets into industrial opportunities.

The ecosystem is also supported by applied platforms: Innopharma (drug discovery/screening), the Galician Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Centre, as well as major industrial players and service providers (ZENDAL, Lonza Biologics Porriño, GalChimia, Mestrelab, CEAMSA, Hijos de Rivera) offering industrial capacity and operational excellence.

Gaps remain: there is a need to develop more companies focused on international markets, attract more capital in the growth phase, and expand industrial demonstration capabilities, particularly for advanced bioprocesses and bio-based production.

What are the key structures of the Galician ecosystem?

Clusters and networks:

• BIOGA – Galician Life Sciences and Biotechnology Cluster: Ecosystem development; internationalisation and partnerships/matchmaking; support for entrepreneurship and investment readiness; cross-sector collaboration (health/pharma, marine biotechnology, agri-food, bioeconomy); missions and cooperation frameworks for soft landing.
• CSG – Galicia Health Cluster: Coordination of innovation in health; networking between health stakeholders, businesses and research; collaborative projects; adoption of innovation and innovation geared towards public procurement; sector visibility.
• CLUSAGA – Galicia Food Cluster: Agri-food competitiveness; collaboration in applied R&D; improvement of value chains; internationalisation; relevant to food biotechnology, ingredients and alternative proteins.
• VIRATEC – Galician Environmental Solutions and Circular Economy Cluster: Circular economy and environmental innovation; waste recovery; bio-based processes; cross-sector sustainability projects; deployment of the bioeconomy.
• ANFACO-CYTMA – Seafood Technology Centre / Marine Agri-Food Innovation Cluster: Innovation and R&D services for the seafood value chain; quality/safety; industrial development; training; key player in marine biotechnology and the blue bioeconomy.
• Galicia Aquaculture Cluster: Coordination of the aquaculture ecosystem; innovation and sustainability; technology adoption; industrial competitiveness; positioning and international collaboration.

Research centres:

• CiQUS – Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (USC): Chemical biology, biomolecular interactions, advanced materials; science facilitating drug discovery, diagnostics and biomaterials.
• CiMUS – Research Centre for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (USC): Molecular medicine and chronic diseases; translational research; biology of targets and disease mechanisms; biomedical innovation and precision medicine.
• CINBIO – Research Centre for Nanomaterials and Biomedicine (UVigo): Nanomedicine, biomaterials, drug delivery and diagnostics; technology transfer and applied biomedical innovation.
• CiTIUS – Research Centre for Intelligent Technologies (USC): AI and data-driven technologies; capabilities for computational life sciences, digital health and data analysis.
• CIM – Marine Research Centre (University of Vigo): Marine sciences and aquaculture research; support for blue biotechnology and innovation in the marine bioeconomy through R&D, applied projects and knowledge transfer to industry.
• CICA – Interdisciplinary Centre for Chemistry and Biology (University of A Coruña): Interdisciplinary research at the chemistry/biology interface; support for applied R&D, bio-based innovation and relevant collaborations for life sciences, agri-food biotechnology and the bioeconomy.

Universities:

• University of Santiago de Compostela (USC): Research and talent in life sciences; translational collaboration with hospitals and industry; platforms facilitating biomedical research and innovation.
• University of Vigo (UVigo): Research and training in biotechnology, engineering and health; applied R&D links; talent training and collaboration with companies and centres.
• University of A Coruña (UDC): Research and training with capabilities in biotechnology and enabling technologies; industrial collaboration and talent development.

Platforms:

• Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Centre of Galicia (CAR-T / Advanced Therapies): Manufacturing and R&D platform for advanced therapies (including CAR-T); support for translational development with healthcare institutions and companies; partnerships in bioproduction, clinical translation and training.
• Innopharma (USC) – Drug Discovery & Screening Platform (EU-OPENSCREEN): Compound library and screening capabilities for hit identification and early discovery collaborations; academia-industry partnerships and access to shared European research infrastructures.
• CESGA – Galician Supercomputing Centre: High-performance computing and data infrastructure for data-intensive science; AI support and computational approaches for life sciences, personalised medicine and digital R&D.
• Biopolo A Sionlla (Santiago de Compostela): Equipped laboratories and innovation space for biotech start-ups and scale-ups; proximity to research and clinical environments; key infrastructure for entrepreneurship and ecosystem collaboration.

Technology centres:

• CETIM – Technology Centre for Multisectoral Technology Research: Applied R&D and technology transfer for industry; support for innovation in processes, materials, sustainability and enabling technologies for industrial biotech through collaborative projects and testing services.
• AIMEN Technology Centre: Advanced manufacturing, materials, digitalisation and industrial processes; applied R&D, pilot/testing capabilities and technology transfer for companies (relevant for bioprocess equipment, automation and industrial scale-up).
• ANFACO-CYTMA Technology Centre: Marine technology/seafood products centre; R&D, quality/safety, industrial innovation and training services for the blue economy; key capabilities for marine biotechnology and aquaculture value chains.
• Gradiant – ICT Technology Centre: Applied R&D in ICT (AI, cybersecurity, data, communications); support for digital transformation and data-driven innovation for health, biotech and industrial applications.
• CTAG – Galician Automotive Technology Centre: Applied R&D and innovation services in mobility and advanced engineering; enabling technologies (automation, robotics, sensors) with potential for transfer to production and logistics in life sciences.

Companies and start-ups:

• ZENDAL Group (including CZ Vaccines): One Health biotech/pharma group (vaccines, biologics, healthcare solutions); strong industrial capacity and international partnerships.
• Lonza Biologics Porriño, S.L.: Biologics bioproduction (cell culture and associated operations); strategic industrial player for CDMO partnerships and scale-up in advanced bioprocesses.
• GalChimia: CRO and chemical synthesis services for pharma/biotech/agrochemicals; support for discovery and development workflows for international clients.
• Mestrelab Research: Scientific software and laboratory data processing; facilitation of R&D digitalisation and computational workflows in life sciences.
• CEAMSA: Hydrocolloids and bio-based ingredients; industrial innovation in food biotech and bioeconomy, relevant for functional ingredients and alternative proteins.
• Hijos de Rivera: Innovative agri-food industrial group (fermentation, sustainability, new bio-based ingredients and processes); partner for industrial biotech and bioeconomy initiatives.

Cross-border and European collaborations in Galicia

Galicia’s international collaboration model relies heavily on structured partnerships, targeted missions and the development of lasting relationships, led by BIOGA as the ecosystem catalyst. This includes designing missions and stakeholder mapping approaches to transform meetings into operational pipelines (R&D projects, investment dialogue, soft landing and business development).

In 2025, this resulted in concrete international actions: a mission to France aimed at strengthening European collaboration in biotechnology/health and industrial translation, and a mission to Brazil focused on foodtech/industrial biotechnology connections — both aligned with Galicia’s strengths in health/pharma and industrial bioprocesses (including fermentation-based innovation and alternative proteins). Furthermore, the cooperation framework between North Carolina and Galicia further positions the latter as a partner for transatlantic collaboration in bioproduction, clinical translation and innovation exchange, supported by an organised approach to pipeline building rather than ad hoc networking.

Focus on the Bioga cluster:

• Number of members: 142
• Main areas: Life sciences and biotechnology in the health/pharmaceutical, marine biotechnology/aquaculture, agri-food and bioeconomy sectors, with enabling capabilities supporting translation and industrialisation (including screening/discovery tools and bioprocesses).
• Key services offered: Ecosystem integration and visibility; steering and energising European R&D projects and ecosystem development; attracting and mobilising funds; stakeholder engagement; talent retention and attraction, mentoring and training; facilitating cross-border cooperation pipelines linking R&D, business and investment; and support for internationalisation.
• Major achievements and projects: BIOGA has played a central role in structuring and internationalising the Galician life sciences and biotechnology ecosystem through flagship initiatives such as: IBERO_BIO: Iberian cooperation and international positioning, EDIH DATAlife: European Digital Innovation Hub supporting digital transformation in health and life sciences, BIOCHAINS Atlantic: value chains in the Atlantic area in blue bioprocesses and bioeconomy. Together, these projects strengthen collaboration, digitalisation and industrial translation. At the same time, BIOGA holds recognised quality labels, including the Cluster Management Excellence Label, and is AEI (Agrupación Empresarial Innovadora) certified, demonstrating its professional governance and the quality of its services. BIOGA has also expanded its international reach through memoranda of understanding and cooperation frameworks with leading organisations in the United States (North Carolina), France, Germany, Brazil, Japan and the United Kingdom, enabling the establishment of structured pipelines for partnerships, joint projects, soft landing and investment dialogue.
• Role in regional innovation: BIOGA acts as a connector between businesses, research, healthcare and public actors, translating regional priorities into concrete partnerships, project pipelines and international positioning.
• Find out more: https://www.bioga.org/

💡 Would you like to collaborate with Galician stakeholders on your innovation projects? We can put you in touch with the right partners. Contact our Europe team:

• Adeline Jacob, chargée de développement et projets européen – Innovation Santé [adeline@biotech-sante-bretagne.fr]
• Gorenka Bojadzija Savic, Chargée de développement et projets européens – Innovation Biotech [gorenka@biotech-sante-bretagne.fr]
• Dimitri Guézel Romanov, chargée de projets européen [dimitri@biotech-sante-bretagne.fr]