EU Life Science Strategy: 10 billion for life sciences
The Berlaymont building in Brussels is the headquarters of the EU Commission. / © Imago/dts News Agency
On Wednesday, the EU Commission announced the launch of its new Life Sciences Strategy, which aims to make Europe the world's leading center for life sciences by 2030. To achieve this ambitious goal, the Commission intends to invest €10 billion per year from the EU budget. The funds are intended to strengthen the entire value chain, promote innovation, and thus benefit people all over the world.
"Life sciences are vital to our health, environment, and economy. They drive innovation in medicine, nutrition, and sustainable production, contribute nearly €1.5 trillion to the EU economy, and secure 29 million jobs across the Union," the EU Commission explains.
The new strategy aims to address three areas:
- Optimizing the research and innovation ecosystem: The Commission intends to develop an EU investment plan to facilitate the financing of cross-border clinical trials and strengthen European clinical research infrastructures. This strategy will also promote a "One Health" approach to research and innovation and mobilize up to €100 million under the 2026/27 Horizon Europe work programs to develop and deploy microbiome-based solutions. In addition, €250 million will be allocated to cross-sectoral life sciences technologies to support the development of new products that drive industrial innovation and sustainability. These include, for example, new approaches, novel molecules, advanced materials, and more efficient biomanufacturing processes.
- Enabling rapid market access for innovations: To accelerate market access for innovations in the life sciences, the Commission intends to propose an "EU Biotech Act" to create a more innovation-friendly framework for all biotech sectors. The Commission also intends to establish a matchmaking platform to connect startups, industry, and investors, leveraging the European Innovation Council's portfolio and its network of trusted investors.
- Strengthening trust, acceptance, and use of innovation: The Commission will allocate €300 million to boost the procurement of life sciences innovations in areas such as climate change adaptation, next-generation vaccines, and affordable cancer solutions. The Commission will also establish a Life Sciences Coordination Group to align policy and funding across sectors and support engagement with key stakeholders, including industry and citizens.
The EU Commission warns that Europe risks losing its once-significant lead in life sciences. Challenges include fragmented innovation ecosystems, underutilized data and artificial intelligence, and slow market adoption. The new strategy aims to bring European scientists and companies back to the forefront of the world.
pharmazeutische-zeitung
