News and press releases

The boom in Mallorca’ scientific and technological leadership is clear and strong, which has been achieved by fostering innovation, empowering talent and raising productivity levels and business competitiveness. It is the ideal place to bring research and innovation talent together at any time of the year, and where investment in R&D and jobs in the fields of science and technology continue to rise.

With the opening of the Palma Congress Center, Mallorca opened the door to large-format congress tourism on the island, facilitating the celebration of medical, scientific and technological congresses from all over Europe and thus becoming a new lever to promote knowledge exchange.

The island is notable for its commitment to becoming a benchmark in Europe for innovation and biotechnology. Growth in this sector is clear from the Balearic Islands Science, Technology and Innovation Plan, which is strengthening and attracting talent in research, technology and innovation.

A total of 22,500 businesses are involved in knowledge-based activities and more than 180 to innovation, around 30 of which are small and medium innovative enterprises accredited by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain. The University is the main source of knowledge generation on the island, accounting for 45% of the region’s spending on R&D, and around 70% of the people working on research. Specifically, to stimulate relations between the scientific university community, businesses and other socioeconomic agents, the Balearic Islands University-Business Foundation (FUEIB) identifies research results, protects them with patents and other measures, and transfers them to the business sector.

This economic development in the region includes sectors that are strengthening their capacity to be economically competitive, such as the Balearic Islands Biotechnology and Biomedical Cluster (BIOIB) and the Balearic Islands Chemical Industry Cluster (CliQIB).

Both groups are based at the Balearic Science and Technology Park (ParcBit), which fosters the growth of knowledgebased businesses and helps develop structural relations with the University and research centres, as well as providing a Technology-Based Business Incubator.

Close to 20 biotech companies have passed through the ParcBit incubation programme. Mallorca is also home to international pharmaceutical groups such as Labo’Life, a leader in micro-immunotherapy, or Sanifit, a biopharmaceutical company from Mallorca that in 2019 secured the biggest round of funding of any Spanish biotech company.

The Mallorca Convention Bureau, which will soon be a public-private partnership, will be led by the Consell de Mallorca and will work on the legacy of the MICE industry, detecting opportunities to enhance and promote the development of other sectors with great potential on the island.