The biotechnology sector in the DACH region has gained enormous importance through COVID-19. BioNTech is the most prominent example of a vibrant biotech scene with a focus on therapeutics and diagnostics.
Note: The market data in this article is based on industry studies and public company disclosures. The figures are intended as guidance and may vary depending on definition and source.
Industry Structure
Segments (by Color)
| Color |
Area |
Description |
| Red |
Medicine |
Therapeutics, diagnostics |
| White |
Industry |
Enzymes, biomaterials |
| Green |
Agriculture |
Plant biotech |
| Gray |
Environment |
Bioremediation |
| Blue |
Marine |
Marine resources |
Value Chain (Pharma Biotech)
Basic Research → Drug Discovery → Preclinical → Clinical → Approval → Market
│ │ │ │ │ │
Academia Biotech Biotech Pharma/ Regulatory Pharma
Institutes Start-ups CROs Biotech
Market Players DACH
Germany
| Company |
Focus |
| BioNTech |
mRNA therapies |
| CureVac |
mRNA technology |
| Evotec |
Drug discovery |
| MorphoSys |
Antibodies |
| Qiagen |
Diagnostics |
Switzerland
| Company |
Focus |
| Lonza |
CDMO |
| Bachem |
Peptides |
| Molecular Partners |
DARPins |
| CRISPR Therapeutics |
Gene therapy |
| AC Immune |
Neurodegeneration |
Austria
| Company |
Focus |
| Hookipa |
Immunotherapy |
| Marinomed |
Respiratory therapies |
| Apeiron |
Immuno-oncology |
Biotech Clusters
Germany
| Cluster |
Focus |
| Munich/Martinsried |
Diverse |
| Rhine-Main |
mRNA, immunology |
| Berlin-Brandenburg |
Diverse |
| Heidelberg |
Oncology |
| Hamburg |
Diverse |
Switzerland
| Cluster |
Focus |
| Basel |
Pharma biotech |
| Zurich |
Medtech, diagnostics |
| Lausanne (Arc Lemanique) |
Diverse |
Austria
| Cluster |
Focus |
| Vienna |
Life sciences |
| Innsbruck |
Immunology |
| Graz |
Diverse |
Market Characteristics
Biotech Specifics
| Aspect |
Characteristic |
| Capital intensity |
Extremely high |
| Development time |
10-15 years |
| Success probability |
Very low |
| Regulation |
Very strict |
| IP importance |
Critical |
Financing Phases
| Phase |
Typical Financing |
| Seed |
Grants, angels |
| Series A |
VC |
| Series B/C |
VC, cross-over |
| IPO/Trade Sale |
Public markets, M&A |
Trends and Developments
Technology Trends
| Trend |
Description |
| mRNA |
Platform technology |
| Gene Therapy |
CRISPR, AAV |
| Cell Therapy |
CAR-T, iPSC |
| AI/ML |
Drug discovery |
| Biologics |
Continuing dominance |
Market Trends
| Trend |
Development |
| Personalized Medicine |
Biomarker-driven |
| Orphan Drugs |
Rare diseases |
| Immuno-oncology |
Checkpoint, CAR-T |
| Antibiotics |
New approaches |
| Degenerative |
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's |
Industrial Biotech
| Trend |
Application |
| Biofuels |
Alternative energy |
| Bioplastics |
Sustainable materials |
| Enzymes |
Industrial processes |
| Fermentation |
Food |
Regulation
Regulatory Agencies
| Agency |
Jurisdiction |
| EMA |
EU approval |
| FDA |
USA |
| BfArM |
Germany (national) |
| Swissmedic |
Switzerland |
| AGES |
Austria |
Approval Process
| Phase |
Duration/Characteristic |
| Preclinical |
3-6 years |
| Phase I |
1-2 years, safety |
| Phase II |
2-3 years, efficacy |
| Phase III |
3-5 years, pivotal |
| Review |
1-2 years |
Key Metrics
Development Metrics
| Metric |
Description |
| Pipeline Value |
Value of pipeline |
| Success Rate |
Success rate per phase |
| Time to Market |
Development duration |
| R&D Spend |
R&D expenditure |
| Patent Cliff |
Expiring patents |
Financial Metrics
| Metric |
Description |
| Cash Runway |
Cash duration |
| Burn Rate |
Monthly consumption |
| Enterprise Value |
Company value |
| Risk-adjusted NPV |
Risk-adjusted value |
Challenges
Industry-Specific
| Challenge |
Description |
| Financing |
Long periods without revenue |
| Attrition |
High failure rate |
| Talent |
Scientists scarce |
| Regulation |
Complexity |
| Reimbursement |
Pricing pressure |
Structural DACH
| Topic |
Challenge |
| Venture Capital |
Less than USA |
| Exits |
IPO market small |
| Bureaucracy |
Approval procedures |
| Acceptance |
Gene technology debate |
Business Models
Biotech Types
| Model |
Description |
| Platform |
License technology |
| Product |
Own drugs |
| Service |
CRO, CDMO |
| Tools |
Research tools |
Exit Strategies
| Exit |
Characteristic |
| IPO |
Nasdaq, SIX, FRA |
| Trade Sale |
Pharma acquisition |
| Licensing |
Sell rights |
| Partnership |
Co-development |
Funding Landscape
VC DACH
| Investor |
Focus |
| HBM Healthcare |
Switzerland |
| Wellington Partners |
Germany |
| BioMedPartners |
Switzerland |
| Forbion |
NL, DACH-active |
| Fund+ |
Belgium, DACH-active |
Public Funding
| Program |
Country |
| GO-Bio |
Germany |
| EXIST |
Germany |
| Innosuisse |
Switzerland |
| FFG |
Austria |
| Horizon Europe |
EU |
Conclusion
The biotechnology sector in the DACH region has world-class potential:
- mRNA breakthrough: BioNTech/CureVac as pioneers
- Strong clusters: Munich, Basel, Berlin
- Challenges: Financing, exits
- Opportunities: Personalized medicine, gene therapy
The region must close funding gaps to compete with the USA.
Analyze biotech companies: Firmium provides data on biotech firms and life sciences companies in the DACH region.