BIO-RED (Building Interregional Opportunities for Digital and Green Innovation in Red Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals) is an EU-funded project to strengthen the innovation capacity of European regions in the field of red biotechnology, and pharmaceutical development. The project has a special focus on digitalisation and green transition, and will contribute to making Europe more competitive globally
The project focuses on red biotechnology, which includes the use of biological processes and technologies in health and medicine – for example, the development of new drugs, vaccines, diagnostic tools, and advanced therapies. Pharmaceutical development is closely linked and covers the entire process from research and design of new active substances to the production and approval of medicines. Together, they form a key area of the life science industry with great importance for public health and economic growth.
The project brings together 11 partners from 7 EU countries – including Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Lithuania, Bulgaria, France, and Sweden – and builds bridges between less developed, transitional, and more advanced regions. Through collaboration across borders and sectors, BIO-RED will create new interregional innovation projects and mature them into investment-ready business cases.
Purpose of the project
Map regional ecosystems and value-chains in red biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation.
Develop a common strategic interregional roadmap for cooperation and investment.
Implement an accelerator program to mature interregional business cases and increase their investment readiness.
Create long-term impact and sustainability through an Open Innovation Platform and a strategy for the continuation of the project’s results.
Focus
BIO-RED works with two key areas of innovation:
Digital innovation: Using AI and machine learning to improve and accelerate the development of new drugs and treatments.
Green technology: Development of sustainable bioproduction methods, green chemistry, and advanced organoid models that can reduce the need for animal testing.
The project is funded by the European Union.
Project info
Start: 15. September 2025
End: 14. September 2027
Financing: The project is funded by the European Union’s program “Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3)”
Target groups
The project is aimed at research and companies working with red biotechnology.