Health

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.

Dynamic biomedical ecosystem

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.

Industry entities

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:

Biopharma

29 companies represent 64% of the sector’s turnover, including some of the most attractive Spanish companies:

Prevention and well-being

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.

Medical devices

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.

Want to know more about the keys to invest in Navarre healthcare sector?

Biomedical research in Navarra

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.

Some sector companies

Latest health news

Hunstman

Huntsman has been linked to Navarra for 82 years. It went through many situations and acquisitions until, just two decades ago, it was acquired by the American chemical company Huntsman. Precisely, the landing of the latter in the region brought with it a series of values (safety at work, honesty, integrity, respect and responsibility) that define and differentiate the activity of this company from Pamplona.

Ardena Pamplona

Idifarma has been one of the greatest success stories of the pharmaceutical industry in Navarra in recent years. Supported from the outset by Sodena, the Government of Navarra’s financial instrument for the development of the region’s business fabric, the firm experienced rapid growth and accelerated internationalization, which soon attracted the attention of international investors, such as Belgium’s Ardena.
other sectors

Automotive industry

Navarra, a strategic enclave for the automotive industry. This sector represents around 25% of industrial GDP in Navarra, which represents 30% of GDP of the Autonomous Community of Navarra.

Agrifood

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.

Renewable energies

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.

ICT

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.