Spain’s long-running approach to supporting domestic pharmaceutical production is gaining renewed attention at European level, following discussions between Romanian and Spanish authorities on strengthening local manufacturing of medicines and medical supplies.
Romania’s Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, held a working meeting last week with representatives of the Spanish Ministry of Industry, focusing on policies that support national production capacity in the health sector.
According to the minister, Spain’s PROFARMA programme was a central point of discussion, seen as a practical example of how industrial policy can support health system resilience, faster patient access to medicines and a stronger pharmaceutical sector.
Rogobete confirmed that talks are underway to prepare a Memorandum of Collaboration between the two ministries, aimed at exchanging expertise and good practices, with the goal of developing a similar framework in Romania.
PROFARMA 2025–2026: incentives tied to investment and innovation
Spain’s latest PROFARMA Programme cycle, covering 2025–2026, was presented in mid-2025 by Jordi Hereu, Minister for Industry and Tourism. The programme is designed to encourage investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing and research, while reinforcing Spain’s position as a European production hub.
Under Spanish law, companies selling publicly funded prescription medicines are required to contribute between 1.5% and 2% of sales to the National Health System.
PROFARMA allows these contributions to be partially reduced, depending on a company’s classification within the programme. Reductions range from 5% for an “acceptable” rating to up to 25% for companies classified as “excellent,” with an additional 10% reduction available for participation in R&D consortia or partnerships with Spanish research centres.
Focus on supply security and advanced therapies
The 2025–2026 PROFARMA plan places particular emphasis on areas considered strategically important, including critical medicines, antimicrobials, biotechnology, advanced therapies and products with lower environmental impact.
It also aligns with broader EU priorities such as the European Green Deal, the European Digital Strategy and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A new element in the latest cycle is increased recognition of digital innovation centres, highlighting the role of data use and machine learning in pharmaceutical research and drug development.
Spanish authorities have repeatedly underlined that strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing is also a response to global supply vulnerabilities, exposed in recent years by pandemics and geopolitical disruptions.
A model with three decades of history
First launched more than 30 years ago, PROFARMA has become a well-established policy tool in Spain.
Participating companies often view their classification as both a reputational marker and a lever for attracting further investment, particularly within multinational groups deciding where to locate production and R&D activities.
For Romania, the discussions signal growing interest among EU member states in more active industrial health policies, as governments look to balance market dynamics with security of supply and patient access.
Whether PROFARMA’s structure can be directly replicated elsewhere remains to be seen, but the Spanish experience is increasingly referenced as a concrete case of long-term state support for pharmaceutical manufacturing within the EU.
12.01.2026.
