AstraZeneca’s Barcelona Hub ranked Top 5 in Europe by Financial Times

The AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona has been recognized as one of the top five foreign investment projects in Europe. Specifically, the British biopharmaceutical multinational’s project ranked fourth in the first edition of the Investment Impact Awards, presented by fDi Intelligence, part of the Financial Times Group, at a ceremony held in Cannes (France) as part of the MIPIM investment fair.

At the same time, the distinction also recognizes the role of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, the agency for business growth under the Ministry for Business and Labour, and the Barcelona City Council as key partners supporting the company in making the project a reality.
 

“This recognition reaffirms AstraZeneca’s strong and long-term commitment to Catalonia and Spain, and especially to its powerful science and innovation ecosystem”

Laura Colón, President of AstraZeneca Spain

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The award is given to foreign investment projects that have a real, on-the-ground impact in terms of innovation, job creation, sustainability, and inclusion. They are also projects that, in collaboration with public institutions, are aligned with national or regional investment strategies.

According to Laura Colón, President of AstraZeneca Spain, this recognition “reaffirms AstraZeneca’s strong and long-term commitment to Catalonia and Spain, and especially to the powerful science and innovation ecosystem we have here. Through this commitment, we aim to continue positioning the country as a global benchmark in biomedical innovation, generating a positive impact on patients’ lives.”

For Miquel Sàmper, Minister for Business and Labour, “this distinction once again demonstrates Catalonia’s enormous appeal when leading international companies seek the best location to grow their projects. This appeal is even more pronounced in the biomedical field, where companies, research, and world-class scientific excellence converge.”

Raquel Gil, Deputy Mayor for Economic Promotion, states that "the presence of international companies like AstraZeneca in our city demonstrates Barcelona’s leadership in attracting both local and international talent. It also confirms Barcelona as a reliable hub for research and business activity, supporting the creation of quality jobs in a strategic sector for the city."

More than €1.3 billion in investment

The AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona, located in the Estel Building and opened last November, comprises facilities covering 30,000 square meters and employs around 1,600 people. It is an internationally recognized center of innovation in biomedical research and commercial excellence, which will receive a total investment of €1.3 billion from the pharmaceutical multinational by 2027.

In fact, the life sciences sector is one of the strategic pillars of the new Strategy for the Attraction, Promotion, and Retention of Foreign Investment in Catalonia for the 2026–2030 period, led by ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment. The strategy aims to secure more than €6 billion in foreign investment and create 45,000 jobs by 2030.

For its part, the life sciences and health sector is one of the strategic pillars of the Pla Impulsa, Barcelona’s economic promotion roadmap for the 2025–2035 period, which will receive a major boost through projects such as the new Hospital Clínic, the CaixaResearch Institute for immunology research, the building devoted to biomedical and biodiversity research at the Antic Mercat del Peix within the Ciutadella del Coneixement, as well as the Spanish headquarters of the Fraunhofer Foundation and its Center for Applied Theragnostics.