Every year, BEAM publishes the beAMRometer, the barometer that takes the pulse of the SMEs innovation in AMR.
This year, the questionnaire was open to all SMEs in the sector, not just BEAM members. We received over forty responses and hope that this number will continue to grow in the coming years.
The main findings are as follows:
1) Entrepreneurs who innovate in AMR are indefatigable optimists
When 80% tell you that they had a really good year in 2024, which is still between 15% and 20% more than last year, you have to wonder whether the AMR sector is really in trouble. It’s true that AMR received a lot of attention last year, thanks in particular to the UN General Assembly. Is this it? Is this the end of the gloom? Perhaps, but not the end of the problems…
2) Financing innovation in AMR remains critical
66% of respondents still find it difficult to find the necessary funding to advance their R&D. This is slightly better than last year for preclinical studies, but slightly worse for clinical trials. In practice, a good number of companies are not raising any money:
- 21% are not receiving any public funding; this is better than last year, but still 1 in 5.
- 38% have not raised any money from private investors; this is also better than last year, but if we add those who have raised less than €200k, the figure rises to 58% of respondents.
It’s hard to advance R&D with such small sums…
3) Overall, SMEs are still in a very fragile position
64% have less than €1 million in the bank (11% more than last year), and 59% have visibility of less than one year. On average, financial visibility continues to decline. For many SMEs, the wall is closing in…
When we look at the details, the number of businesses with very little money in the bank (<€200k) is down slightly, while the number of those with more than €5m has halved. The rich are less rich, the poor are less poor.
However, even though their financial situation seems to be deteriorating, companies are spending more on R&D. Does this mean that they are speeding up their investment?
Does this mean that they are speeding up just to break through this wall? Let’s hope they have a good helmet…
4) PULL is needed, frustration is growing
When we ask AMR SMEs what could help them most, PULL incentives is what comes first, and the progress towards them is clearly found insufficient. In an ideal world though, we would have PUSH and PULL incentives, and an improved regulatory framework.
Beyond the figures, there is a palpable sense of frustration. The frustration of having good technology and not being able to develop it as we should. The frustration that even if a major PULL incentive were introduced, it would come too late for the companies struggling to survive today. And this frustration could grow, as political priorities are seen to shift away from health. Therefore, we need to continue to make our voices heard at the highest political level so that things change. It’s a matter of urgency.
You can find the main results of the beAMRometer here
