The CataloniaBio & HealthTech Internationalisation Workgroup (WG) held its first meeting on 26 April at the Barcelona Science Park with roughly twenty biopharmaceutical, medical technology and digital health companies and start-ups.

7.9% of exports from Catalonia are in the healthcare and life sciences sector, according to data from 2018. To explain the business opportunities available in new countries, this first session featured Clàudia Danesi, manager of International Public Procurement and Technical Offices at ACCIÓ, and Leyre Alonso, International Strategy Consultant for the same organisation, sharing their experiences. The Government of Catalonia Agency for Business Competitiveness currently has 40 offices around the world.

Albert Giralt (Avinent) and Alfons Nonell-Canals (Mind the Byte), members of the CataloniaBioHT board of directors and coordinators of the WG with Melqui Calzado (secretary general), introduced the goals of the WG and opened up debate among the participating companies in order to identify the main reasons for internationalisation (opening new markets, technological cooperation, scouting for investment, de-localising, etc.).

The WG will meet again soon to lay out a specific programme of actions.

Since 2018, CataloniaBioHT has also had a Regulatory Affairs WG and Innovation WG.