The 'Biotechnology Success Story' is just taking some time out
Compared with last year the number of core companies in the German biotech sector remains stable while job numbers are only slightly down

Berlin (December 16, 2002) - 'The consolidation phase of the biotech sector leads to a new kind of realism' reads one of the concluding remarks to new statistical data on the current development of the biotech industry sector in German-speaking Europe that has just been published by BIOCOM AG. The relatively young industry sector is undergoing a consolidation phase that is manifested in prolonged financial difficulties and the collapses associated with them. Still, the overall situation is much better than the mood within the industry. Due to the sustained progression of successful research efforts in the laboratories one can rightly say that the 'Biotechnology Success Story' is still very much alive - it is merely taking some time out. According to the recently published 17th edition of the Biotechnology Year and Address Book (BIOTECHNOLOGIE JAHR- UND ADRESSBUCH) the total number of German core companies of the sector has decreased only slightly from 604 to 597. Around 35 new companies have been added during the last year to category I (core companies) of the BIOCOM® database thereby almost entirely making up for the reduction in numbers due to company bankruptcies or other reasons.

The same can be said about the total job count for the core companies (excluding biotech giants): the total number of people working in the sector fell from 19,800 in 2001 to 18,890 in 2002. Around one half of all companies is less than 5 years old and 70% of which employ less than 26 members of staff.

The so-called 'red' biotechnology - which also includes medical and pharmaceutical research - accounts for the vast majority, i.e. for some 86% of all biotech companies. 'Green' or agri-biotechnology ranges second with some 27% whereas only 10% of all companies work with 'grey' biotechnology, such as environmental technologies (since many companies are working in more than one sector multiple naming of active sectors was allowed).

How strongly the industry is geared up towards research and how little it does for marketing is documented in the following figures: at the moment only about 45% of biotech SMEs have marketable products in their portfolios and only 30% maintain their own sales department. In contrast to this some 88% name research activities as the central focus of their corporate strategies, and 50% rely on services from third parties.

Source: Andreas Mietzsch (Editor): BioTechnologie . Das Jahr- und Adreßbuch 2003, 17th edition, ISBN 3-928383-09-4, BIOCOM AG Berlin 2002. 572 pages, 32.80 Euro

Contact:
BIOCOM AG
Michael Kuhrt
Stralsunder Str. 58-59, D- 13355 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49-(0)30-264921-0
Fax: +49-(0)30-264921-11
eMail: kuhrt@biocom.de 
Web: www.biocom.de 

© BIOCOMMUNICATIONS.net GmbH, Brunnenstr. 128, D- 13355 Berlin ,Germany - Use of the material is free, please supply a copy.