The Belgian powerhouse
Belgium has been making its mark in the biopharmaceutical sector, securing third place in Europe’s biopharmaceutical export market with exports of over €80 billion in 2023. But what makes Belgium truly stand out? It’s a combination of robust collaboration, strategic location and a thriving ecosystem supported by substantial investments and innovative policies.
Belgium's biomanufacturing ecosystem boasts several strengths:
Supportive policies: Federal and regional initiatives have been fostering innovation through tax incentives, investment, new legislation and other initiatives.
Strategic location: The country’s compact size, dense urbanisation and well-connected infrastructure provides a unique breeding ground for biomanufacturing companies to thrive.
Skilled workforce: Belgium benefits from a highly qualified talent stream emerging from renowned universities and research institutions.
- Constant innovation: Universities are largely responsible for driving the creation of biopharma spin-offs and have been very good at securing grant agreements. The number of patents filed to the European Patent Office went through the roof in 2023.
“Belgium's achievements in the fields of cell and gene therapy (C>) are remarkable. For these two therapeutic approaches, the country is ranked respectively second and third globally in the number of clinical trials per capita.”
The other side of the coin: Facing the challenges ahead
If Belgium is doing great in the biopharma sector, challenges such as digital maturity, regional competitiveness and talent competition from neighbouring countries pose a threat.
Lack of digital maturity: Belgium lags behind in digital transformation, with companies not fully leveraging available data and digitalisation benefits. Regulatory scrutiny and uncertainty of returns further impede the adoption of transformational technologies.
Regional coordination: Competitiveness between Belgium's regions reduces synergies and diminishes the country’s overall appeal for biomanufacturing players. However, some ongoing collaborative initiatives between regional clusters are accelerating innovation and growth of the ecosystem..
- Talent gaps: The influx of new talent from academic disciplines related to biomanufacturing is insufficient to meet the industry's growth demands. Major disparities in unemployment rates between regions further exacerbate this talent shortage.
How do we move forward?
By addressing its weaknesses and leveraging opportunities, Belgium can maintain its leadership in biomanufacturing and continue to attract global investments. Innovation in biologics, cell and gene therapies and continuous manufacturing could prove to be key to the future of the Belgian value chain.
On the digital front, enabling technologies like AI should definitely be considered as the sector is estimated to account for 39% of the technology’s potential benefits. AI can boost revenues through the accelerated development of new medicines and facilitate new ways to interact with the market.
With impressive numbers of GMP-certified facilities and robust logistic structures, Belgium also has an opportunity to become the European gateway for advanced therapies.
Last but not least, talent development projects like the European Biotech Campus project supported by key industry leaders and Solvay Business School’s new Master’s degree in Biotech and Medtech Ventures could help maintain Belgium’s competitive edge for the coming decades.
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