Building a biotech hub

This master's thesis examines Slovenia's strategic position within the global biopharmaceutical ecosystem and evaluates its potential to develop into a competitive European biotech hub.Combining a comprehensive literature review, ecosystem mapping and qualitative empirical analysis based on interviews with key industry, research and policy stakeholders, the study identifies Slovenia's core strengths, structural bottlenecks and developmental pathways.Findings reveal that Slovenia holds a strong position in biomanufacturing, quality systems and specialised engineering capabilities, reinforced by substantial multinational investment and a highly reliable industrial workforce.However, the ecosystem remains constrained by limited translational infrastructure, no domestic venture capital, talent shortages and fragmented coordination across institutions.These conditions create a dual system: robust industrial performance but underdeveloped innovation capacity.The analysis shows that Slovenia's future competitiveness will depend on its ability to strengthen translational environments, improve governance and administrative efficiency, expand talent pipelines, and develop a more balanced funding landscape.Overall, the thesis concludes that Slovenia has the structural foundations to become a specialised biopharmaceutical hub, but realising this potential requires ecosystem-wide alignment and targeted strategic interventions.