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According to the latest report by the German Federal Government’s Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation, the biotechnology sector in Germany provides one of the most innovation-friendly and modern industrial sectors for the development of advanced technologies (1). Achievements made within biotechnology include the development of new therapies and drugs, the cultivation of improved crops, and the supply of industrial raw materials.
KEY FIGURES
Figures published in two surveys this year provide a precise and impressive overview of the current situation in the sector, which is mainly represented by small and medium-sized enterprises. At the time of the survey, some 500 companies with a total of around 14,500 employees were working in the biotechnology sector (2). Biotechnology is also becoming increasingly important in companies where it represents only part of the corporate activities. Ninety-two of these companies – particularly pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of chemicals and seeds – employ more than 15,500 people in segments that are closely linked to biotechnology. As a result, a total of around 30,000 people are employed in commercial biotechnology.
Turnover in the sector increased by nine per cent in 2008, thus exceeding the €2 billion mark for the second year in a row. A large part of this growth – around 60 per cent – is due to successful suppliers (often in the diagnostics field). At the same time, investments in R&D increased slightly by 1.1 per cent. Therapeutic companies with products at the advanced pipeline stage in the clinical field were a contributing factor to the high expenditure on R&D, investing some €80 million. A turnover of around €54 million in the industrial biotechnology sector must also be taken into account (these statistics do not include information on the traditional chemical and pharmaceutical sectors). |
