Galderma, Swiss dermatology multinational, opens headquarters in Barcelona and creates 150 jobs

Swiss dermatology multinational Galderma has inaugurated its new global capacity center in Barcelona, creating over 150 new jobs. The company, which offers a premium range of products and services across all dermatology segments, will support its growth and expansion through the new 1,500-square-meter facility. This center will focus on R&D, commercial operations, and the recruitment and management of global talent.

Galderma’s establishment in Barcelona has been facilitated by the Catalan government through ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, the agency for business competitiveness within the Department of Business and Labour. Attending the inauguration was ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment's Executive Director Joan Romero.

“Our Global Capability Center in Barcelona is now fully operational, with high-performing teams and diverse talents that truly reflect Galderma's brand and purpose”

Flemming Ørnskov, CEO of Galderma

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During his speech, Romero highlighted the fact that foreign companies such as Galderma choose Barcelona "for its strategic location, for the completion of the value chain, for the ecosystem of startups, research, and technology", but "above all for the talent and the ability to attract people from all over the world: this is what differentiates us from other regions". Romero stressed that "the life sciences sector is highly strategic in Catalonia" and already represents 8% of the country's GDP.

For his part, Galderma CEO Flemming Ørnskov assured that "our Global Capability Center in Barcelona is now fully operational, with high-performing teams and diverse talents that truly reflect the Galderma brand and purpose. With an exceptional level of collaboration and a strong drive for results and dynamism, this group is a catalyst for our growth trajectory as we work to extend our leadership in the dermatology category".

The Global Capacity Center (GCC) in Barcelona is the only one of its kind in Europe for Galderma. Currently, it employs 114 staff and is in the process of hiring an additional 40 professionals, bringing the total to over 150.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Switzerland, Galderma employs over 6,500 professionals worldwide, operates in more than 90 countries, and has production facilities in Canada, Sweden, France, and Brazil. In the first quarter of 2024, the company achieved record sales, surpassing $1 billion for the first time.

A Key Sector in Catalonia

According to the 2023 BioRegion Report (.PDF document) by Biocat, CataloniaBio & HealthTech, and ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, the life sciences sector accounts for 7.9% of Catalonia's GDP. This sector includes 1,400 companies, representing more than 50% of Spain’s pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.

Over 264,000 people are employed in this sector in Catalonia, making up 6.5% of the employed population, and it has attracted more than €1.6 billion in foreign investment over the past five years.