Belgian pharmaceutical industry among European top

24/11/2016

The Belgian pharmaceutical industry has been at the European forefront for several years and has recently strengthened its leadership position in various key economic indicators.

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, pharma.be, the umbrella organisation representing over 130 pharmaceutical companies in Belgium, could once again announce excellent results compared to the rest of Europe.

In 2015 it achieved a 5.5% growth on investments in R&D (Research and Development). This currently makes Belgium the second largest country in the EU in terms of pharmaceutical R&D expenditures (per capita).

Roughly 4,200 persons are active in R&D in Belgium. 2015 saw a 2.86% increase compared to the year before, while the number of researchers in the EU decreased by 0.04%. Furthermore, 18% of the research staff come from abroad.

The Belgian pharmaceutical industry is strongly export-oriented. No less than 1/7th of European exports of biopharmaceuticals comes from Belgium. This fine achievement also places Belgium in second place among European countries.