Bioga held its 25th Ordinary General Assembly of Members at the Mestrelab Research Centre in Santiago de Compostela, where it ratified its commitment to internationalization and opening new markets by 2025.

The Life Sciences Business Technology Cluster, which added six new members in 2024, now represents 136 actors in the biotech ecosystem

The biotech ecosystem ratified the Bioga board of directors for the next two years. The board is chaired by José Manuel López Vilariño of Hijos de Rivera, and its vice-chair is Carme Pampín Casal, the top executive at GalChimia.

Santiago de Compostela. 07/06/2023. The Galician Life Sciences Business Technology Cluster (Bioga) has increased its membership by 103% since 2019, the year of the first impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This growth solidified the position of biotechnology in Galicia and its recognition as a strategic sector for the economy and the healthcare field. In 2019, Bioga had 67 members. Today, it represents 136 stakeholders in Galicia’s biotechnology ecosystem, with a combined revenue of over €1.5 billion, 5,500 jobs, an annual investment of €114 million in R&D, and a contribution of 1.8% to Galicia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Bioga held its 25th Annual General Meeting at the new Mestrelab Research Center (CIM) in Santiago de Compostela, where it ratified the members of its board of directors for the 2025-2026 term. The board is chaired by José Manuel López Vilariño of Hijos de Rivera. The vice-chairmanship will be held by Carme Pampín Casal of GalChimia, and the secretary position by María Seoane Ramil of BFlow. The three board member positions will be filled by Pablo Álvarez Freire of Mestrelab, Mónica Valladares Andrade of Lonza Biologics Porriño, and Andrés Fernández Álvarez-Santullano of Zendal Health.

Today, Bioga comprises 136 members. The 25th Annual General Meeting of Bioga also served to welcome new members from across Galicia and the rest of Spain. In 2024, six firms joined: Konexio Biotech Consulting, Orixe Salgada, Viva Architect, pibGroup Iberia, Gradiant, and Feuga.

At the forefront of biotechnology

Bioga’s president, José Manuel López Vilariño, reviewed the milestones achieved in 2024 and presented the new projects and initiatives for 2025. He emphasized the company’s commitment to internationalization and opening new markets in third countries. Bioga will strengthen its Internationalization Department. It has already designed and implemented services for its members, including market analysis, selection of potential clients and technology partners, strategic consulting, identification of funding opportunities and partners for projects, organization of trade missions, and attraction of international private funding.

The president of Bioga, José Manuel López Vilariño, reaffirms Bioga’s strategy, and that of the entire Galician biotechnology ecosystem, “to continue focusing on internationalization throughout 2025.” The Bioga network already has a presence in more than 25 countries. In his view, the Galician ecosystem, already well-established within its territory, “faces the challenge of opening up new markets, where numerous opportunities arise in the fields of research and business.” Furthermore, he believes that the Galician biotech sector has the “capacity and talent” to explore new environments abroad.

Internationalization actions

Bioga has scheduled a reverse trade mission from North Carolina to Galicia in September of the second half of 2025, another trade mission to France (Brittany and Île-de-France), and participation in Bio-Europe, which will take place in Vienna in November. The Life Sciences Business Technology Cluster is also working, in collaboration with the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN), on designing the Biotechnology Excellence Strategy for the coming years. In addition, it will launch the 11th BioInvestor Program and begin planning and developing a new edition of Galicia Biodays, scheduled for spring of next year.

Among the actions developed by Bioga’s partners, José Manuel López Vilariño highlighted the III Meeting “Investing in Science is Profitable,” which, organized by Unirisco, took place from February 19 to 20, 2025. This event was attended by more than 400 researchers, 80 speakers from seven Spanish and European universities, and leaders from the science, technology, and research ecosystem.

More information: Bioga

Bioga Communications Office: 679.486.961.