AstraZeneca invests 1.3 billion euros in its R&D center in Barcelona, doubling its job creation forecast to 2,000

AstraZeneca is stepping up its commitment to the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona and will invest around €1.3 billion by 2027. The company made the announcement as it celebrated the first anniversary of its R&D hub in Barcelona, which opened in March 2023 to become one of the largest centers of excellence and clinical innovation in Europe. In its first year, the center has created more than 500 highly qualified jobs in Barcelona and plans to have almost 2,000 employees by the end of 2025, doubling the forecasts for job creation compared to the previous year.

The event was supported and attended by the Spanish Government's president, Pedro Sánchez; the President of the Government of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès; the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni; the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Universities, Juan Cruz; the President of AstraZeneca in Spain, Rick R. Suarez, and other institutional representatives.

“We are increasing our investment in the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona to strengthen Spain's leadership and projection in global research and drive scientific and economic growth in the region”

Rick R. Suarez, President of AstraZeneca in Spain

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In the words of Rick R. Suarez, President of AstraZeneca in Spain, "Catalonia and Spain are strategic environments to scale AstraZeneca's contribution in R&D and commercial excellence globally. We are increasing our investment in the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona to strengthen Spain's leadership and projection in global research and drive scientific and economic growth in the region. Public-private collaboration, supported by the Government of Spain, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Barcelona City Council, is essential to support our important commitment to the country and accelerate the arrival of innovative, life-changing treatments for patients around the world".

The AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona has positioned itself as a major generator of skilled, quality employment in the region. Sixty percent of the more than 500 employees currently working at the Hub are women. It is made up of multidisciplinary teams from 35 different nationalities in clinical development, regulatory affairs, biometrics, IT, and digital innovation.

With this project, AstraZeneca continues to promote public-private collaboration with the Government of Spain, the Government of Catalonia, the Barcelona City Council, and the local health and life sciences ecosystem. With this investment, the installation of the Hub in the renowned Estel building is being considered. It is an efficient and sustainable construction of more than 25,000 square meters that will house the Hub's employees in the center of Barcelona in 2025, providing stability and support to the city's infrastructure and a further element of strengthening this relationship with the rest of the ecosystem's stakeholders.

Strengthening the scientific leadership of Spain and Catalonia

Spain has positioned itself as a leader in pharmaceutical research, participating in 43% of the 1,944 clinical trials authorized in the European Union under the new European Clinical Trials Regulation, being the first country in Europe in this field. The Catalonia bioregion is a benchmark in health and biomedical sciences, with a network of 91 research centers and more than 1,300 biopharmaceutical, healthcare, medical device, and digital health companies. This robust ecosystem provides AstraZeneca access to a wide range of resources, expertise, and collaborations.

Last year, Catalonia Trade & Investment interviewed Carla Ruiz, the HR Director of AstraZeneca Spain. During the interview, Carla explained why Barcelona was selected as the location for the new center and what specific talent the company has already incorporated.

Source: AstraZeneca