European Biotech Act: bioRN brings Industry and Policymakers together

How can Europe strengthen its global competitiveness in biotechnology?

Heidelberg, July 7th: This question was at the heart of a high-level roundtable hosted by the bioRN Life Science Cluster with Member of the European Parliament Hildegard Bentele. Representatives from Ascendis Pharma, BD, PROGEN, Novaliq, BASF Agricultural Solutions, PEPperPRINT, Evotec and Isenbruck Bösl Hörschler joined the discussion to exchange concrete recommendations for the further development of the European Biotech Act and Europe’s competitiveness as a global biotechnology hub.

At the beginning of the discussion, Hildegard Bentele posed a central question to the participating companies: “Where do you see the greatest barriers today – and what changes should Europe implement through the European Biotech Act?”

The discussion made one thing clear: Europe already possesses many of the key ingredients for success – world-class science, highly innovative companies and outstanding talent. At the same time, participants identified several framework conditions that must be improved to ensure that breakthrough innovations are not only created in Europe but can also grow, scale and remain competitive here.

One of the central topics was access to growth capital. Participants agreed that Europe does not fundamentally suffer from a lack of capital; rather, too little private investment is currently directed towards biotechnology. The discussion therefore focused on the need for deeper European capital markets, greater involvement of long-term institutional investors and more attractive exit opportunities. Participants highlighted ideas such as a European equivalent of NASDAQ and a flagship investment event comparable to the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to raise Europe’s international visibility and strengthen its position as a competitive biotech location. The important role that institutional investors, including pension funds, could play in financing successful biotechnology companies was also emphasised.

Equally important was the discussion on creating a more competitive business environment for innovative companies. Participants advocated stronger tax incentives for innovation, including IP Box models, harmonised European corporate structures such as an EU Inc., and simpler cross-border technology transfer. The common objective is to make Europe a more attractive place to found, grow and scale innovative companies over the long term.

Another key theme was Europe’s greatest competitive advantage: its scientific excellence. While innovation in the United States is often driven by disruptive business models, Europe benefits from outstanding research institutions, companies with a long-term perspective and highly committed scientists. This scientific excellence enjoys an outstanding international reputation. The challenge now is to translate these strengths more consistently into commercial success and global competitiveness.

Industrial biotechnology also featured prominently in the discussion. Using the green transformation as an example, participants highlighted that biotechnology extends far beyond healthcare and is increasingly becoming a key industrial technology. To unlock its full potential, Europe needs smart regulation, targeted market incentives and greater investment in pilot and demonstration facilities that enable innovative technologies to transition into industrial-scale applications.

“The European Biotech Act represents a unique opportunity to translate Europe’s scientific excellence into economic strength. Achieving this requires continuous dialogue between policymakers and the companies driving innovation every day. Creating exactly this dialogue was the purpose of today’s roundtable,” said Nicole Hecht, Associate Managing Director at bioRN.

In her closing remarks, Hildegard Bentele emphasised that the coming months will be decisive for Europe’s future competitiveness. With negotiations on the next EU budget and the further development of the European Biotech Act now underway, Europe is setting the course for its innovation policy for years to come. Her message to the industry was clear: now is the time to contribute practical experience and concrete recommendations to the political process to ensure that innovation remains at the centre of Europe’s future.

bioRN would like to thank Ascendis Pharma for its generous hospitality and for the opportunity to visit its new headquarters in Heidelberg. A tour through the company’s state-of-the-art laboratories provided an impressive demonstration of the innovation potential within the bioRN network and underlined the strong commitment of international companies to the Heidelberg life science ecosystem.

About bioRN Life Science Cluster

BioRN is the science and industry innovation cluster of the Rhine-Neckar region around Heidelberg, one of Germany’s strongest biotech and life-science hubs. It is a non-profit network fostering health innovations and serving its members by creating a rich translational ecosystem as well as promoting, representing and connecting the regional innovation stakeholders. BioRN has more than 180 institutional members, including the top academic and research institutions, 10 global pharmaceutical companies, a large range of small and medium-sized enterprises bolstering the life science ecosystem as well as local government organizations and representations of interests. With the vision “create innovation – foster translation”, we have developed a clear strategy to become the leading life science cluster and to attract global investments and talent. bioRN Life Science Cluster will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026. Since its foundation, we have been able to realise a large number of flagship projects in the region, including most recently the establishment of Biolabs Heidelberg, one of the leading incubators for biotech and life science start-ups. Another flagship initiative is beLAB2122, a multi-year partnership between leading academic institutions in the Rhine-Main-Neckar region, as well as Evotec and BMS, aimed at accelerating the translation of research into clinical applications.

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