European Partnerships for Biotech

European partnerships are essential for thinking big. In 2023, BIOTECH AUSTRIA established several working groups that actively support the association in addressing key topics and positioning them effectively. These groups bring together representatives from across Austria’s biotech landscape.

The EU Biotech Act represents far more than a new European legislative initiative – it is a powerful signal that Europe is ready to rethink biotechnology as a strategic driver of future prosperity and competitiveness. For Austria, this marks an exceptional opportunity, especially as the Austrian government has formally identified life sciences and biotechnology as a strategic key industry. The domestic biotech sector, which has developed with remarkable dynamism in recent years, now stands at the point where vision meets implementation. It is determined not only to be part of Europe’s momentum, but to help shape it as a leading force.

BIOTECH AUSTRIA has long represented the interests of Austrian companies with great dedication. It’s EU Working Group has set a clear goal: not merely to accompany the EU Biotech Act, but to actively contribute to its design. The aim is to bring the voices and needs of the Austrian biotech community into the European decision making process and to ensure that the conditions required for innovation are created – not someday, but now.

Since 2025, BIOTECH AUSTRIA has been a member of EuropaBio. Founded in 1996, EuropaBio is Europe’s leading biotechnology association, based in Brussels, representing companies and national associations to strengthen innovation, regulatory clarity, and the competitiveness of the European biotech industry.

This partnership is more than a formal cooperation. It reflects a shared understanding: Europe can only assume a global leadership role if the strengths of its member states are combined. Through harmonized regulations, modern funding structures, and a renewed openness to technological breakthroughs, the EU ­Biotech Act creates a foundation on which start ups, scale ups, and established companies can grow. Working closely with EuropaBio will make Austria’s path even more impactful.

Austria offers excellent conditions for this: outstanding research institutions, passionate founders, a maturing ecosystem, and investors increasingly convinced of the power of biotechnological innovation. Together, these elements make Austria a model region for the successful implementation of the Biotech Act. Here, the close interplay of science, entrepreneurship, and regulatory support becomes visible.

Start up, Scale up… Step up!

BIOTECH AUSTRIA’s motto for 2026 – “Start up, Scale up… Step up!” – captures this spirit perfectly. It is both a promise and an invitation: a promise to those who dare to innovate, and an invitation to all who are ready to take the next step with the industry. It stands for courage, growth, and responsibility – and for the belief that Austria can achieve more within the European ­biotech context than ever seemed possible.

The EU Biotech Act provides the strategic framework for this ambition. It lowers barriers to innovation, modernizes approval processes, and facilitates collaboration between science, industry, and regulatory authorities. As a result, research projects can be translated into market ready solutions more quickly, European competitiveness increases, and new forms of cooperation – within Europe and beyond – become possible.

BIOTECH AUSTRIA is therefore committed to strengthening an ecosystem that not only allows innovation but actively fosters it. An ecosystem that recognizes the needs of researchers, entrepreneurs, and patients alike. The goal is to elevate biotechnology in Europe to a new level – and to position Austria as one of the key drivers of this transformation.