Press Release: Statistics on Biotechnology Use. Year 2022.

Main results

Internal R&D expenditure increased by 13.0% in 2022, reaching 2,565 million euros.
The full-time equivalent personnel dedicated to internal R&D activities in Biotechnology was 35,301.2. 58.0% were women.

More information

Expenditure in internal R&D activities related to Biotechnology reached 2,565 million euros in 2022, an increase of 13.0% as compared with the previous year. This expenditure represented 13.3% of the total spending on internal R&D activities.

By execution sectors, expenditure by the Business sector increased by 17.8% and expenditure by Higher Education increased by 10.8%.

Regarding the total expenditure on internal R&D activities in Biotechnology, the Business sector showed the highest percentage (47.7% of the total). Behind them were Public Administration (30.2%), Higher Education (21.6%) and Private Non-Profit Institutions (IPSFL), with 0.4%.

Expenditure on internal R&D in Biotechnology by execution sector

Year 2022. Thousands of euros

Financing of Internal R&D

Internal R&D activities related to Biotechnology were financed in 2022, mainly by the Business sector (44.4% of the total) and the Public Administration sector (40.1%).

Expenditure on internal R&D in Biotechnology by execution sector and financing

Year 2022. Thousands of euros

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        "44.4",
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        "11.9",
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        "16.6",
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        "9.6",
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Employment in internal R&D activities related to Biotechnology

In 2022, the full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel dedicated to internal R&D activities in Biotechnology was 35,301.2. 58.0% of the personnel were women.

The research collective consisted of 22,324.6 individuals as FTE personnel. 54.5% were women.

Personnel employed in internal R&D activities in Biotechnology by execution sector, occupation and gender

Year 2022. Full-time Equivalence

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        "12,993.4",
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        "57.5",
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        "11,442.1",
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        "63.6",
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        "6,766.8",
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        "60.3",
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        "",
        "10,721.9",
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        "52.5",
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        "8,386.7",
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        "49.7",
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        "143.8",
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        "61.4",
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        "101.2",
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        "53.4"
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Application areas of Biotechnology

Among the final application areas of products obtained from the use of different types of biotechnologies, Human Health and Food stood out, accounting for 48.7% and 32.4% of the total units, respectively.

Units with biotechnological activities, according to final application areas of Biotechnology

Year 2022. Percentage

Data by Autonomous Community

The Autonomous Communities with the highest expenditure on internal R&D activities in Biotechnology in 2022 were Cataluña (31.5% of the total), Comunidad de Madrid (26.9%) and Andalucía (9.6%).

Expenditure on internal R&D in Biotechnology by autonomous communities, according to execution sector

Year 2022. Thousands of euros

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        "1,223,801",
        "100.0",
        "1,341,566",
        "100.0",
        "247,223",
        "9.6",
        "95,843",
        "7.8",
        "151,380",
        "11.3",
        "41,462",
        "1.6",
        "19,968",
        "1.6",
        "21,493",
        "1.6",
        "25,776",
        "1.0",
        "6,672",
        "0.5",
        "19,104",
        "1.4",
        "28,371",
        "1.1",
        "8,650",
        "0.7",
        "19,721",
        "1.5",
        "19,346",
        "0.8",
        "5,503",
        "0.4",
        "13,843",
        "1.0",
        "6,525",
        "0.3",
        "..",
        "..",
        "..",
        "..",
        "74,557",
        "2.9",
        "29,322",
        "2.4",
        "45,235",
        "3.4",
        "35,651",
        "1.4",
        "23,489",
        "1.9",
        "12,162",
        "0.9",
        "807,469",
        "31.5",
        "396,387",
        "32.4",
        "411,082",
        "30.6",
        "200,608",
        "7.8",
        "82,753",
        "6.8",
        "117,854",
        "8.8",
        "5,796",
        "0.2",
        "4,752",
        "0.4",
        "1,043",
        "0.1",
        "127,106",
        "5.0",
        "48,184",
        "3.9",
        "78,921",
        "5.9",
        "688,823",
        "26.9",
        "348,277",
        "28.5",
        "340,546",
        "25.4",
        "45,328",
        "1.8",
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        "1.4",
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        "5.9",
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(*) Rest of sectors: Government, PNP and Higher Education

(.) Not available or unexist

(..) Protected data by confidentiality

Reviews and data updates

The data published today are final. All results are available on INEBase.

Methodological note

The objective of the Statistics on the use of Biotechnology is to measure national efforts in biotechnology-related activities, in order to provide the necessary information for adequate decision-making in scientific-technological policy.

In this regard, the objective is to ascertain the type of biotechnology-related activities that are carried out in each of the sectors in which the economy is divided; the final application areas of the products obtained via the development of biotechnologies; and the economic and human resources appointed to the biotechnology-related productive and investigation activity in Spain.

Type of survey:: annual continuous survey.
Population scope:: the group of companies, public bodies, universities or higher education centres and private non-profit institutions (IPSFL) that use Biotechnology in their activities.
Geographical scope:: the entire national territory.
Reference period:: the calendar year.
Collection method:: mixed, involving sending questionnaires via postal mail and online completion.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and the Code of Best Practices.