Council of European BioRegions

What Council of European BioRegions does

The Council of European BioRegions (CEBR) is a Brussels-headquartered, Belgium-registered non-profit association (asbl) founded in 2013 that operates as the European Association of Life Science Clusters. It functions as a membership-based meta-cluster network connecting more than 50 leading life science cluster organizations across 18 European countries — including Medicen Paris Region, Biocat (Catalonia), BioRN, Lyonbiopole, BioWin (Wallonia), BioM (Bavaria), BioPmed (Piemonte), and ScanBalt — to facilitate cross-border collaboration, EU funding access, peer benchmarking, and policy representation. Core services comprise a Network Services platform, a European Projects Program managing EU-funded initiatives (BREATH, BRIGHTskills, COBIOE, EDAH, BioMan4R2, INNAXE, SAFE-N-MEDTECH, and the Pan-European Biomanufacturing Landscape with EIT Manufacturing), an Events Platform hosting major industry conferences (Nordic Life Science Days, BioMeet, Life Science Investor's Day, Prague.bio Conference, ON Helix, bio:cap), and a Membership Benefits Program covering networking, learning, visibility, representation, and internationalization support.

CEBR is governed by a board drawn from its member clusters (2026-2027 leadership: President Hickmah Tagaully of Medicen Paris Region, Vice President Kristina Eskenazi of Health and Life Sciences Cluster Bulgaria, Treasurer Kazimierz Murzyn of Klaster LifeScience Krakow) and operates a lean secretariat (1-10 employees) led by Managing Director Anaïs Le Corvec. Its revenue model combines recurring membership fees from clusters with EU project funding (Horizon 2020, Erasmus+) and partnership-driven co-development with bodies such as EIT Health and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. The organization also participates in EU policy advocacy, including contributing to the joint position paper behind the proposed EU Biotech Act II, and is increasingly extending its convening footprint beyond Europe, notably through member-led missions to Canadian clusters and research centers.

From a technology and product standpoint, CEBR is not a technology company: its 'core technology' is explicitly described as cluster management excellence and network coordination rather than proprietary software or platforms. Distribution is direct via membership engagement, and marketing is conducted through the cebr.net website, industry events, European project partnerships, EU policy advocacy, and email/social channels. The organization has no disclosed funding rounds, no subsidiaries, no parent company, and is registered under legal name Council of European BioRegions (previously known as the European Association of Life Science Clusters), with DBA name CEBR.

Name

Council of European BioRegions

Legal name

Council of European BioRegions

Website

https://cebr.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CEBR is a Brussels-based non-profit association (founded 2013) that operates as the European Association of Life Science Clusters, connecting 50+ regional life science cluster organizations across 18 European countries to enable cross-border collaboration, EU funding access, peer exchange, and policy representation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CEBR generates revenue through membership fees paid by life science clusters and organisations across Europe. Membership provides benefits including networking, funding opportunities, cross-border collaboration, and visibility in the European life sciences ecosystem.
2. EU Project Funding: CEBR participates in European Commission-funded projects (Horizon 2020, Erasmus+) which provide funding for cluster collaboration initiatives, talent management, skills development, and innovation ecosystem strengthening across Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CEBR is a non-profit membership association that connects and coordinates leading life science cluster organisations across Europe. It delivers networking, cross-border collaboration, EU project facilitation (Horizon 2020, Erasmus+), industry events, peer exchange, EU funding access, and policy advocacy services to its member clusters and their constituent biotech, medtech, and digital health organisations.

Product overview

The Council of European BioRegions (CEBR) is a network organization, not a traditional product company. It operates as 'The European Association of Life Science Clusters,' connecting leading cluster organisations across Europe to accelerate innovation and strengthen regional ecosystems. The core offering consists of a Network Services platform facilitating collaboration among life science clusters, a European Projects Program managing EU-funded initiatives (BREATH, BRIGHTskills, COBIOE, EDAH, BioMan4R2, INNAXE, SAFE-N-MEDTECH), and an Events Platform organizing major industry conferences (NLSDays, BioMeet, Life Science Investor's Day, Prague.bio, ON Helix, bio:cap). The Membership Benefits Program provides networking, visibility, and internationalization support to member organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEBR Network Services A networking platform connecting life science clusters across Europe, providing exclusive networking, funding opportunities, and cross-border collaboration to boost innovation and global impact.
• European Projects Program Facilitates collaborative EU-funded projects including BREATH (talent management), BRIGHTskills (workforce upskilling), COBIOE (biopharmaceutical ecosystems), EDAH (digital health), BioMan4R2 (nanomedicine), INNAXE (innovation services), and SAFE-N-MEDTECH (nanotechnology safety).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 startups supported through EIT Health Catapult programme, with participating companies raising over €500 million in funding
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Montréal InVivominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026CEBR member bioPmed met with Montréal InVivo, the leading life sciences cluster in Québec, highlighting strong strategic alignment and initiating a collaboration agreement process to be finalised at BIO Convention San Diego 2026.
• Citè Biotech (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026CEBR member bioPmed visited Citè Biotech (Laval), Quebec Life Sciences Incubator & Accelerator, to explore models and tools supporting biotech company growth as part of the Piedmont mission to Canada.
• EIT ManufacturingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2022EIT Manufacturing co-conducts the Pan-European Biomanufacturing Landscape initiative with EIT Health and CEBR, exploring conditions for emergence, development and industrialisation of disruptive biomanufacturing technologies in Europe.
• European Cluster Collaboration PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2021The European Cluster Collaboration Platform partnered with CEBR and the European Cluster Alliance (ECA) to organise COVID-19 therapeutics matchmaking events under the EU Therapeutics Strategy, bringing together over 250 participants from 25 Member States.
• EIT HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEBR is a partner in the BRIGHTskills project, an Erasmus+ funded initiative delivering Continuous Professional Development courses for Europe's life sciences workforce. EIT Health coordinates the training programmes developed through extensive labour market research and industry consultation.
• BioPmed (Piemonte Healthcare Cluster)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioPmed is a CEBR member cluster representing the Piedmont life sciences ecosystem in Italy with 92 members and 900+ stakeholders. BioPmed participates in joint initiatives including collaboration with Canadian partners through institutional missions.
• BiocatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiocat is a CEBR member managing the Catalonia life sciences ecosystem with 1200+ stakeholders. Biocat co-leads the EDAH project with CEBR and other partners to develop joint action plans for digital health innovation in Europe.
• McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEBR member bioPmed met with MUHC, a leading centre for clinical and translational research, exploring opportunities in digital health, genetics, and AI for early diagnosis and predictive medicine.
• ScanBaltcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScanBalt is a CEBR member and meta-cluster representing Northern Europe's leading accelerator for inter-regional cooperation in life sciences. ScanBalt co-leads the EDAH project with CEBR.
• bioRN Life Science ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerbioRN is a CEBR member and leads the 10th anniversary edition of the EIT Health Catapult programme, which has supported 300+ startups and helped companies raise over €500 million in funding.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP): Global network of science parks and innovation districts. Comparable as a meta-network connecting innovation hubs and providing peer exchange, internationalisation support and policy advocacy — overlapping with CEBR's core member offering.
• European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP): EU-funded platform facilitating cluster collaboration across Europe. Operates in the same meta-cluster coordination space and is a current CEBR partner, with overlapping mission around cross-border cluster matchmaking and EU visibility.
• ScanBalt: Northern European meta-cluster for life sciences that is itself a CEBR member and co-leads projects such as EDAH. Highly comparable as a regional life science cluster network with overlapping member organisations and joint EU project portfolios.
• TCI Network: Global network for cluster practitioners, researchers and policymakers. Comparable as a peer-exchange and knowledge network serving cluster managers and innovation practitioners worldwide.
• EuropaBio: European Association for Bioindustries representing the biotech industry at EU level. Comparable as an EU-wide life sciences membership association pursuing biotech policy advocacy and member visibility.
• European Cluster Alliance (ECA): Alliance of European cluster organisations spanning multiple industries. Directly comparable to CEBR as a pan-European cluster meta-network pursuing EU policy influence and cross-border cluster collaboration.
• European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA): Provides benchmarking and assessment services for European clusters. Directly comparable in the cluster-evaluation and benchmarking space where CEBR's senior team also operates as lead assessors.
• European Foundation for Cluster Excellence: European organisation focused on cluster benchmarking, training and quality standards. Directly comparable as an EU-level cluster excellence body, with overlapping programmes (CEBR's Alberto Baldi serves as an associated trainer).

Broad incumbents

• Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): Largest global biotech industry association based in the US. Comparable as a broad-incumbent trade association for the biotech sector with overlapping policy advocacy and member services, but at much larger scale and US-anchored.
• European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA): Pan-European pharma industry association representing large research-based pharma companies. Comparable as a broad EU-level life-sciences membership association with policy influence, but focused on big-pharma corporate members rather than clusters and SMEs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cebrclusters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council of European BioRegions