Europe’s Life Sciences Paradox: Strong Science, Weak Scale?
Europe has long positioned itself as a global leader in life sciences. With world-class research institutions and a steady pipeline of scientific breakthroughs, that claim is well founded. But at the heart of the ecosystem, there is a growing disconnect. Is Europe equipped to build and retain globally competitive companies, or is it just a generator of innovation for others to scale?
The numbers are difficult to ignore. In recent years, 66 out of 67 European biotechnology companies chose to go public on markets outside the EU. This is a structural signal, rapidly becoming an alarm siren.
It’s well known that Europe excels at research. But when it comes to scaling innovations into companies and tangible products for patients and society, Europe often falls short. Over time, this imbalance risks weakening Europe’s position — not only economically, but also in terms of patient access to cutting-edge treatments.
“Increasing the availability of European venture capital for life sciences has become a societal urgency.” – Jérôme Van Biervliet