Navarra is at the forefront of personalised medicine in Europe, with a competitive health sector capable of launching innovative and accessible solutions to health challenges on the market.
Navarra has one of the most dynamic biomedical ecosystems in Spain, with amazing investment and partnership opportunities in this sector.
The region’s innovation infrastructure is one of the best in Spain, allowing the local development of biomedical products across all stages, from discovery to marketing.
As occurs with other sectors, the size of Navarra does not correspond to the achievements of its health and biopharmaceutical sector, which place it among the most advanced in the world.
Fuelled by the high level of the health sector and future trends, the health sector has great scientific and technological relevance in Navarra, with a focus on specialising in biotechnology and pharmaceutical products. The pharmacy sector alone represents 17.1% of patents in Navarra, 13.1% in Spain and 7.5% in the European Union.
Navarra has great strengths throughout the value chain, from scientific production, product development and quality clinical services, a value chain that employs 31,508 people, the majority in care services (27,981), but with 2,465 people working in the health industry and 1,065 in research.
This industry is composed of 85 companies, 5 research centres, 3 universities and 2 leading hospitals in Navarra. In 2020, the sector’s turnover was €791 M, with a growth of 20% compared to 2016. The main segments that make up the sector are:
29 companies represent 64% of the sector’s turnover, including some of the most attractive Spanish companies:
It is the second most important area and has grown significantly in recent years, with the launch of relevant innovation and business development initiatives in genomics and data science.
It has 13 companies of different types, which represents almost 29% of the total turnover of the sector with 228.5 million euros.
It is an emerging sector and fastest-growing sector made up of 41 companies, and a turnover of 60.6 million euros in 2020, including a considerable number of start-ups that are expected to grow significantly and provide investment opportunities in the coming years.
Albyn Medical stands out as a pioneer in the development of innovative medical devices since 1985. Experts in the design and manufacture of products for urology, gynaecology and gastroenterology, and recently acquired by Creo Medical to support its international expansion.
Today, the region has two renowned universities with a long academic tradition, a reputable public and private healthcare network closely linked to the universities and relevant agents that drive applied research, such as the Centre for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) and NAVARRABIOMED under the umbrella of the Health Research Institute of Navarra (IDISNA), as well as the Agrobiotechnology Institute (IDAB) and in collaboration with ADITECH.
Navarra’s biomedical ecosystem has continued to grow with new business initiatives, generated both at local level and outside the area, and currently made up of 65 private companies and research centres that employ more than 3,000 people. 100 patents have also been granted in this period.
CIMA is the largest private biomedical research centre in Spain. It was launched in 2004 as a result of the fifty years of experience of the Faculty of Medicine and the University Clinic of Navarra, as well as of the Faculty of Sciences and Pharmacy and the Applied Pharmacobiology Research Centre. Around €10-15 million are invested every year in basic and applied research. It employs more than 400 researchers from over 20 countries and has more than 22 active patents, 5 products in the preclinical phase and 2 spin-offs.
NAVARRA BIOMED is a public research centre created in 2012, promoted by the Government of Navarra. Its mission is to promote, facilitate and carry out biomedical research. In 2016, an agreement was signed with the Public University of Navarra with the aim of promoting biomedical research and enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s biosanitary sector. It has 19 research units and 6 scientific and technical services that bring together a total of 120 researchers and promotes research carried out by more than 250 health professionals from other public centres in the region.
IDISNA The Health Research Institute of Navarra (IdiSNA) was established as a space for multidisciplinary and translational biomedical research aimed at basic, clinical and epidemiological research and research into health services, resulting from the partnership between groups from the University Clinic of Navarra (CUN), University Hospital of Navarra (HUN), University of Navarra, Public University of Navarra, Centre for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Navarrabiomed, Institute of Public and Occupational Health and Primary Care of the Navarra Health Service.
The multinational dairy group will increase La Vaca que Ríe® production capacity in Navarre by 15% and implement new decarbonisation measures at its Iraizotz facility.
The Santiago Sala company takes another step forward in its strategy of expansion and consolidation in the snacking sector with the purchase of the production
The facility in Etxarren (Arakil Valley), linked to Caja Rural de Navarra, has established itself as a key player in the local agribusiness sector: it
Navarra, a strategic enclave for the automotive industry. This sector represents around 25% of industrial GDP in Navarra, which represents 6% of GDP of the Autonomous Community of Navarra.
Navarra is one of the leading ecosystems in agrifood in Spain. It is located in the Ebro Valley, and promotes and facilitates innovative processes being developed by the sector, thus improving its activity.
Navarra is a European benchmark in the production of Renewable Energies, as it is the cradle of wind energy in southern Europe and is committed to new types of technologies and energy vectors, such as green hydrogen or the production of batteries.
Through Big Data and artificial intelligence, Navarra is committed to becoming a benchmark in digital transformation and innovation both in the public and private sectors, as well as at academic level.
