European biotech CEOs divided on whether US or China will lead future partnership deals, Europe seen as lagging

A BIO-Europe survey of 81 leaders from privately‑owned European biotech companies found the group split on which region will dominate future innovation partnerships. Twenty‑nine respondents said the United States is likely to be the most important partner, while 24 pointed to China, and 12 saw no clear leader emerging.

Only 11 executives believed Europe would become the top source of partnership deals, reflecting a consensus that the continent is falling behind. When asked to rate Europe’s competitiveness as a partnering and deal‑making hub on a scale of one to five, the average score was 2.8, described by the report as middling.

Roughly half of those surveyed also highlighted policy and regulatory factors as influencing Europe’s ability to attract deals, underscoring concerns about the region’s future role in the global biotech landscape.