BioWorld International Correspondent

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Strengthening the competitive advantage of Europe's biomedical health care sector is vital if research, development and jobs are to remain in Europe, according to the European Union's agency on employment matters.

The agency launched a study Feb. 17 to map the challenges the sector is facing, and to explore how to address the lack of funding and the insufficient supply of qualified staff in Europe. The explicit aim is to boost the competitive advantage of the sector in competition with the United States and Asia.

The agency defines the Europe's biotechnology industry as small - it has slightly more than 2,000 companies, employing fewer than 100,000 people and generating only about €20 billion (US$26 billion). But it calls the industry "a crucial driver of economic growth and innovation in other European industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to food production."

"European policy-makers, as well as business executives and employees in Europe's biomedical health care sector, need a comprehensive understanding of change and the consequences of change on their sector, so that they can respond to an effective and proactive way," said Jorma Karppinen, the agency's director.

The study will include four company portraits and two case studies of clusters. Based on the insights from the case studies, future scenarios will be developed, enabling legislators, employers and employees to reflect on their choice of strategies for the future. The project ends in September. However, the mapping report will be available in March, and the six case studies will be conducted and published from March to May. The exercise is intended to be a starting point for strategic considerations and decisions within the companies and organizations within the sector, the agency said.