35,000 Europeans will benefit from access to groundbreaking medical treatments if EU targets for attracting clinical trials are met [1]. EU healthcare systems and the wider economy would also benefit from an extra €4 billion a year in funding, the creation of 18,000 new jobs and the prevention of three million sick days, according to new research from Frontier Economics, published today by EFPIA.

An 11% rise in trials is the new target set by the European Commission, European Medicines Agency and Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA).

An opportunity to lead

Beyond meeting existing EU targets, the analysis explores a further two "what if” scenarios. These more ambitious targets demonstrate the opportunities for Europe if it restores its attractiveness for clinical research.

Regaining Europe’s ‘lost trials’ – those which have moved out of the region since 2013 - would require a 25% increase in trial activity, would deliver €8.9 billion in additional Gross Value Added (GVA) and 79,000 more clinical trial places.

A third, more ambitious scenario, which sees Europe catch up and keep pace with the world’s leading nations – the US and China – would require a 50% increase in activity, unlocking up to €17.9 billion for Europe’s economy and 158,000 additional trial places.

Clinical trial value – the current landscape

The research estimates that industry-sponsored clinical trials already generate €35.7 billion in economic value each year across the European Economic Area (EEA): This is made up of €21.7 billion from clinical trial activity itself, €3.6 billion in R&D spillover benefits and €10.4 billion from improved workforce productivity through the prevention of 26.9 million sick days. In total, this activity supports 165,000 jobs across Europe, including over 45,000 clinical research jobs and over 120,000 jobs associated with indirect and induced impacts of this activity.

Delivering the EC, EMA and HMA target: a realistic first step

Meeting this target would equate to around an extra 500 multinational trials over the next five years, increasing from 900 to 1000 per year.

This target would be a meaningful first step towards reversing a decade-long decline in Europe’s share of global industry-sponsored clinical trials, which fell from 22% in 2013 to 12% in 2023. Over the same period, trial numbers have increased globally, while China’s share rose sharply from 8% in 2013 to 18% in 2023.

Germany generates the highest direct GVA from clinical trial activity, at over €3 billion, followed by France (€1.8 billion) and Belgium (€1.7billion).

The report also estimates that faster uptake of new treatments developed through industry clinical trials avoids 26.9 million sick days across the EEA each year, equivalent to €10.4 billion in GVA. Germany sees the largest productivity benefit (9.1 million avoided sick days), followed by France (4.8 million), and Spain (3.4 million). An earlier report showed that Spain had overtaken Germany as the country with the highest number of clinical trial starts.

Why it matters

Clinical trials provide patients with access to potentially life-saving therapies 10-15 years before they are widely available, while also strengthening the healthcare systems that deliver that care. By embedding research into routine clinical practice, trials support better treatment decisions, faster adoption of innovation, and improved outcomes for patients – including those not directly enrolled in studies [2]. Achieving the projected increase in trial activity would represent a meaningful step towards restoring Europe’s clinical research ecosystem after a decade of decline, benefiting European patients, healthcare systems and the wider economy alike.

Recent European initiatives – including the EU Biotech Act and the ACT EU initiative – and renewed national efforts to create a more harmonised and agile clinical research ecosystem, represent an important first step towards rebuilding Europe’s competitiveness.

Nathalie Moll, Director General, EFPIA, said: “There is no downside to hosting clinical trials in Europe, only health and economic gains for patients and society. Meeting the EU targets should be the absolute minimum to which we should aspire. A vibrant research and development ecosystem will lead to better health outcomes for Europeans, more sustainable and resilient healthcare systems, and significant economic growth. Other countries have recognized this and have acted; it is high time that Europe chooses to do the same.”

View the full report here.The report builds upon a previous study conducted by Frontier Economics (2024) for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

References:

1. The European Commission, the Heads of Medicines Agencies and EMA have jointly developed new targets for clinical trials, to make the EU a more attractive destination for clinical research and improve timely access to innovative medicines for patients: “New targets for clinical trials in Europe”, September 2025, https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/new-targets-clinical-trials-europe
2. IQVIA 2024, https://www.efpia.eu/media/3edpooqp/assessing-the-clinical-trial-ecosystem-in-europe.pdf