We had a look into European biotech and created a map with the biggest biotech companies in each country, according to their market cap.

Biotech is one of the biggest employers in Europe, where companies of all sizes strive to bring the most innovative technology to the market. To illustrate the dynamic biotech ecosystem in Europe, we selected the biggest company in each country, using their market cap as a reference.

Actelion, based in Switzerland, used to be the largest independent biotech in Europe. However, the majority of the company was recently acquired by Johnson & Johnson, and its R&D pipeline will be spun out into a smaller biotech. Basilea is now the leader in Switzerland, while the title of biggest company is for Genmab, a Danish antibody expert fighting cancer and multiple sclerosis.

In addition, Europe counts with a few billion-euro biotechs that you’ll find on the map, such as Galapagos in Belgium, Prothena in Ireland, DBV Technologies in France or MorphoSys in Germany.

But let’s answer the most burning questions: which biotech is the biggest in your country? Are your neighbors doing better? Check it out!

Maps_biggest_biotechs_2_1200

Note: Purely pharmaceutical companies have not been considered, and because the ranking is by market cap, private companies have also been excluded.

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  • Matt

    May I suggest that you also change this infographic’s title? You’re not covering all European countries, far from it…

    • We covered the ones with well-established (public, because it’s by market cap) biotech companies 😉

      • Geoff Dunn

        What you’re saying then is this is all very subjective? Next, you’ll be saying you have removed all companies that do not have a presence on the Moon!

        • NASDAQ/Euronext Biotech Indices are pretty objective…who would you add?

  • Miguel

    While you didnt select purely pharmaceuticals, you also left out industrial biotech companies. how come?

    • Because they’re almost pharmaceutical companies 😛

    • Who would you have added?

      • Miguel

        DSM in the Netherlands, Novozymes in Denmark
        Im not an expert but Im sure there are more that might top the ones you presented in other european countries. And Im pretty sure they are much more Biotech than Pharma.

        • Miguel

          Unfortunately, red biotech is much more in the headlines, but all the other biotech colors might be more important in terms of Market size and employment opportunities! Please dont forget them at labiotech.eu 😉

  • Rob

    Shire is a biotech – market cap = £43bn

  • Chris

    How do you define “Biotech”, on the Galapagos website they claim “specialized in the discovery and development of small molecule medicines with novel modes of action.” which sounds like a Pharma company?

  • Viggo

    What about Iceland? DeCode, Alvogen, Actavis

    • Jon

      Exactly Viggo! Maybe this is EU centred..

  • Frauke

    We almost always have had discussions when e.g. the EY biotech report has been published about how to count companies, which one to count and how to describe the industry’s growth and decline. So different opinions in this field are not new to the industry. But without wanting to be rude I would ask – your restrictions are clear, but what is your important message?