pharma.be A vibrant and leading biopharmaceutical valley in Europe Belgium holds a remarkable position in the European (bio)pharmaceutical sector. Among all countries of the European Union, Belgium has the highest level of pharmaceutical investments in pharmaceutical Research and Development per inhabitant. Together with the third largest number of medicines in development (in clinical trials) and the third position in pharmaceutical R&D employment per inhabitant, Belgium continues to achieve a solid performance for every aspect of the biopharmaceutical value chain, i.e., research and development, clinical trials, production and logistics, and exports.
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ith 11.4 million inhabitants, Belgium represents 2.2 percent of the EU population, and 2. 9 percent of the GDP in the European Union. Centrally located in Europe, gifted with an entrepreneurial mindset and benefitting from excellent medical and road infrastructure, a dense and fruitful eco- system has been developed over the years. It fosters collaboration between private enterprises, academic centers, clinical trials units in hospitals, and the healthcare community as a whole. © pharma.be
the last five years. With more than 5,300 employees in research positions, Belgium has the third largest number of researchers employed in the (bio)pharmaceutical sector per inhabitant in the EU. The huge investments in R&D combined with a high level of expertise put Belgium in third place in the EU, in terms of clinical trial applications per inhabitant. In 2018 two new clinical trial applications were submitted in Belgium every working day. 80% percent of these clinical trials are sponsored by private companies.
Hence, it does not come as a surprise, that Belgium Growing exports with a global logistics is recognized as a leading biopharmaceutical valley hub for medicines and vaccines in the European Union. The fact that these activities Caroline Ven, are focused on every phase in the pharmaceutical Belgium not only leads the way with respect to pharCEO of pharma.be value-chain adds to the attractiveness of Belgium as maceutical research. In absolute numbers, Belgium preferred location for pharmaceutical activities: from basic is the second largest exporter of pharmaceutical goods in the Euroresearch, over manufacturing and production facilities to supply pean Union. (Bio) pharmaceutical companies located in Belgium chain, to its world renown expertise in pharmaceutical import accounted for 12.74 % of the total EU (bio)pharmaceutical exports and export. This leading role became clear during the COVID-19 in 2019. The value of (bio)pharmaceutical products that were pandemic: 6 companies in Belgium are involved in the developexported from Belgium all over the world, totalled 49.9 billion ment of new vaccines and more than 30 clinical trials have been euros in 2019. Belgium's pharmaceutical companies have a started to find adequate treatments. resolutely global outlook. Nearly half of all pharmaceutical exports (49.5%) go to countries outside the European Union, primarily the A highly skilled workforce boosting United States, Canada, Russia and China.
the entire biopharmaceutical value chain
According to the latest numbers available, in 2019, (bio)pharmaceutical companies in Belgium invested nearly 3.8 billion euros in Research and Development of new pharmaceutical compounds. That is the equivalent of 10 million euros investments in Research and Development each day. These investments have surged with almost 50 percent over the last five years, compared to the 2.58 billion euros investments done in 2015. It represents more than 39.8 per cent of all R&D investments by private companies in Belgium.
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This increased attractiveness has also been translated into a remarkable increase in the number of patent applications, and in growing R&D-employment in Belgium. 359 patent applications a year in the pharmaceutical and the biotech industry (2019), it means that nearly one patent is being applied for, every day. The number of patent applications has grown with 48 percent over
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