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Biomed Europa: After the coronavirus, a public infrastructure to overcome the pharmaceutical oligopoly

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  • Massimo Florio
  • Simona Gamba

Abstract

After a brief analysis of the causes underlying the failure of both governments and the pharma industry in terms of preparedness for the COVID‐19 pandemic, and after a discussion of further risks of health emergencies in the coming decades, this paper proposes a new public policy approach. The proposal aims at a major European initiative for the provision of research and development (R&D) in the biomedical field, based on public health priorities. A plan is discussed for an international, interconnected, transparent, science‐informed and publicly funded research infrastructure for pharmaceutical and biomedical research combined with a public enterprise: Biomed Europa. The proposed platform aims to identify research priorities in the public health sector, focusing its efforts on the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies against those diseases that will pose the greatest threats to human and social welfare over future decades. Biomed Europa could be managed as both an international research infrastructure, along the model of CERN, or the EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg) and as a knowledge‐intensive public enterprise with an industrial policy mission, such as the ESA (European Space Agency).

Suggested Citation

  • Massimo Florio & Simona Gamba, 2021. "Biomed Europa: After the coronavirus, a public infrastructure to overcome the pharmaceutical oligopoly," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(3), pages 387-409, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:annpce:v:92:y:2021:i:3:p:387-409
    DOI: 10.1111/apce.12341
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    2. Giovanni Dosi, 2021. "Some policy lessons from medical/therapeutic responses to the COVID-19 Crisis: A rich research system for knowledge generation and dysfunctional institutions for its exploitation," LEM Papers Series 2021/19, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    3. Giovanni Dosi, 2021. "Policy Lessons From Medical Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 56(6), pages 337-340, November.
    4. Anna Balestra & Raul Caruso, 2023. "Vaccines between war and market," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 26(1), pages 24-39, March.
    5. Emanuela Sirtori & Alessandra Caputo & Domenico Scalera, 2021. "Patterns of development in the European biopharmaceutical industry. A network analysis of cross-sectoral linkages (2000-2016)," Working Papers 202101, CSIL Centre for Industrial Studies.
    6. Els Torreele, 2020. "Business-as-Usual will not Deliver the COVID-19 Vaccines We Need," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 63(2), pages 191-199, December.
    7. Nazim Hajiyev & Manafova Mansura & Elena Sverdlikova & Roman Safronov & Tatyana Vityutina, 2021. "Oligopoly Trends in Energy Markets: Causes, Crisis of Competition, and Sectoral Development Strategies," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(6), pages 392-400.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • L32 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Enterprises; Public-Private Enterprises
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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