The chemical-pharmaceutical industry accounts for over 5% of the GVA of Galician manufactured goods, which translates into 790 million Euro, and production represents approximately 3,000 million Euro. The sector is very capital and technology-intensive.

The presence of the chemical industry in Galicia is mostly limited to petrochemical processes, alumina, and to a lesser extent organic chemistry products for household and industrial consumption (paints). A new segment that is currently showing significant activity in terms of new projects is biofuel production. This new segment requires intensive investments in capital, technology, and an extremely specialised labour force.

The pharmaceutical industry in Galicia is characterised by strong investment in R&D, making Galicia one of the leading communities in Spain for extramural expenditure, at 10 million Euro, with major financial flows between the private and public sectors and knowledge transfers in both directions. This is beginning to have an impact on the volume of exports in the pharmaceutical sector, which have quadrupled since the year 2000 and have grown by approximately 40% annually in the last two years, directed mainly at the United States, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.