The EU is a global leader in biotechnology, with the sector having expanded more than twice as fast as the overall economy in recent years. Yet, it faces significant challenges when it comes to scaling up EU-based production. Despite rapid advancements in biotech R&D, critical health products such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and other therapeutics often face barriers in the transition from lab-based discovery to industrial-scale manufacturing within the EU.
Against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions, strengthening Europe’s biomanufacturing capacity through the designation and support of strategic health biotech projects is more crucial than ever. As the Commission rolls out its initial measures under the EU Biotech Act and prepares further industrial policy interventions, this discussion asks a simple question: why does Europe lead in biotech research but lag in industrial scale-up?
The debate will assess how EU policies shape the biotech value chain—from lab to factory— and identify remaining regulatory, financial, permitting, and production bottlenecks that hinder commercialisation, access to manufacturing capacity, and effective scale-up support.
This event is by invitation only
