Invested by Europe: Why Biotech is Vital to Europe’s Economy as well as its Health

From Climate Solutions by European Investment Bank

May 12, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

Antoine de Lachaux discusses the importance of biotechnology for Europe's economy and health, highlighting challenges and opportunities in the sector.

Biotechnology is one of Europe’s most important — and most challenging — innovation sectors. From vaccines and drugs to medical devices and digital medicine, biotech underpins Europe’s health systems, competitiveness and economic sovereignty.  In this episode of  Invested by Europe , Antoine de Lachaux, head of the life science and biotech unit at the European Investment Bank, explains:  What biotech means — from pharmaceuticals and vaccines to medical devices and digital health  Why life sciences are strategically important for Europe  Why biotech innovation takes time, carries high risk and requires patient capital  How Europe’s fragmented market makes scaling more difficult than in the United States  What the proposed Biotech Act could change for European companies  How the EIB supports the sector, including its early investment in BioNTech  Why artificial intelligence is set to accelerate drug development, diagnostics and regulatory processes  The conversation also looks at why Europe needs a truly European investment ecosystem to help biotech companies grow…

People in this episode

Guest: Antoine de Lachaux

Topics covered

biotechnology
health systems
economic sovereignty
innovation
investment ecosystem
drug development

Keywords

biotechnology
vaccines
medical devices
digital health
investment
innovation
Europe

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: European Investment Bank, BioNTech, Europe, Biotech Act