China
Chinese biotech companies target Europe for growth
Chinese biotechnology companies are increasingly targeting Europe as they seek licensing deals, investment and commercial growth beyond a crowded domestic market. Their expansion presents both partnership opportunities and fresh competition for Swiss pharmaceutical groups such as Roche and Novartis.
12 Chinese companies arrived at Swiss Biotech Day in Basel in May 2026, nearly twice the number recorded a year earlier. At least 15 more joined independently, turning the Swiss industry gathering into a useful test of China’s ambitions in Europe.
The visitors came looking for licensing agreements, investors, manufacturing partners and commercial routes beyond China. Domestic conditions are pushing them outward. Venture capital has weakened, competition has intensified and scrutiny from Washington has increased. European markets offer financing, scientific partnerships and regulatory credibility, although they also demand extensive evidence on quality, data protection and compliance.
The timing matters for Switzerland. Roche and Novartis have signed a growing number of deals to license drug candidates from Chinese biotechnology companies. Swiss pharmaceutical groups can access promising science and lower development costs, while Chinese firms gain a route to global markets and validation from established partners.
That relationship is becoming more competitive as Chinese companies build their own capabilities. According to IQVIA, they accounted for 30% of clinical trial starts, compared with 1% in 2009. Basel’s conference circuit now gives Chinese firms a direct line to the companies, investors and advisers that shape European drug development.
China builds a research engine
$1.03 trillion went into Chinese research and development in 2024 when measured by purchasing power parity, edging past the United States at $1.01 trillion, according to the OECD. China’s spending rose 12.3% from the previous year.
The investment has expanded the country’s scientific base. China produces more papers in leading scientific journals than any other country in the Nature Index, while universities supply a large pool of science and technology graduates. Government incentives have also encouraged foreign-trained Chinese scientists to return.
Biotechnology has benefited from this policy focus. Beijing has funded manufacturing parks, research clusters and programmes designed to reduce reliance on imported medicines. The result is a larger pipeline of drug candidates and a stronger network of companies able to conduct research, clinical development and manufacturing at home.
Some products have moved beyond the low-cost reputation associated with China’s older pharmaceutical industry. Ivonescimab, a cancer therapy developed by Akeso, has drawn attention after positive head-to-head trial results against a Western-developed blockbuster. Zanubrutinib, the blood cancer treatment developed by BeOne Medicines, has reached annual sales in the single-digit billions of dollars.
For European partners, the pipeline offers new licensing choices. It also forces Roche, Novartis and other established groups to assess Chinese competitors on scientific results rather than on their former reputation for imitation.