Biotechnology
Biotechnology is one of the key innovative industries in most Nordic and Baltic countries.
Born thanks to an efficient medical industry infrastructure, a wide university network and ambitious state policies, this field has met quick growth and the most successful companies are now among global leaders in their speciality.
Most of these companies and research institutes are actively looking for new collaboration opportunities with foreign partners, even though this collaboration is already well developed.
Sweden and Finland are among the strongest biotechnology industries in Europe.
Sweden is the 4th country in Europe regarding biotechnology company number (after Germany, UK and France), around 250 in 2009. 90% of these companies have fewer than 100 employees. Biotechnology has been the fastest growing industrial sector in the country since 1999.
This powerful industry has historical links with the biggest pharmaceutical groups, AstraZeneca and former Pharmacia. After the merger in 2003 of Pharmacia and Pfizer and the reduction of local research by the new group, many small companies have been created by former Pharmacia researchers.
Unsurprisingly a vast majority of biotech companies are active in Medicine development (with a particular expertise on cancer, diabetes or central nervous system disorders) or in Medical Technology. Agro/Food biotechnology remains small but is among current priorities, together with industrial biotechnology.
Finland, retaining the position of 5th country in Europe by number of companies (almost 200), has also a well established biotechnology industry connected to universities and clusters (among them HealthBIO). More than half of these companies are connected to healthcare (80% in Sweden). Diagnostics is the main activity, PerkinElmer Life Sciences being among the main local manufacturer after its takeover of Finnish Wallac. Besides that, innovative biotech-based diagnostics companies are mostly small and specialise on niche markets, but earn in average 90% of their income from their export sales.
Medicine development is significant also, though less prominent than in Sweden. Enzyme production is well established (all types of enzymes, from industrial enzymes to high-quality enzymes used for research). Developing domains include Food Biotechnology, Environment and Biomaterials.
Denmark has a solid 3rd rank regionally (around 140 biotech companies), slightly behind the two leaders but very innovative still. In a similar way to Sweden, this industry has risen from a historically strong pharmaceutical industry and is mostly turned towards medicine development, with also a fairly strong diagnostics sector. Besides healthcare, Food/Agro biotechnology companies are also very active.
Norway has around 100 companies, with a slight domination of healthcare activities, but also an expertise on agricultural and marine biotechnology. The country is willing to strengthen its specialisation in marine biotech and in a few biomedicine niches.
Iceland's small biotechnology sector has seen the rise of a global player in genetics and bio-pharmaceutics (deCODE genetics). The unique genetic homogeneity of the island's inhabitants has attracted major international interest and funds. A genetic mapping has been carried on the whole population.
Baltic countries' biotech industry remains small but quickly growing
Latvia has an emerging biotech industry, with 28 companies focusing on Genomics, Food technologies and environment biotechnology. This industry is slightly stronger in Lithuania (26 companies but higher average number of employees), the main exporter being Fermentas (molecular biology).
Estonia has a small yet dynamic biotech industry, with around 20 companies. The lack of big international pharmaceutical labs is a handicap but the state supports the development of this industry. There are companies active in Genomics, Immunology and Agro biotech.
Useful Links
Sweden
Finland
Denmark
Norway
Iceland
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Events
25-27th November 2009:
Stockholm, Sweden
19-21st May 2010:
ChemBio,
Helsinki, Finland