Success Story: Why Roche Builds the Future of Digital Health from Barcelona

Roche Diagnostics, a global leader in clinical diagnostics, is building next-generation digital health solutions from its innovation hub in Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona). With over 1,400 employees from 29 countries, this site plays a key role in the company’s mission to transform healthcare through data-driven decision-making and automation.

“Here in Catalonia, we are a global site for the development of digital solutions that enable clinical decisions or help manage clinical laboratories worldwide,” explains Artur Palet, Commercial Innovation Lead for EMEA & Latam at Roche Diagnostics.

“The advantage for us being in Barcelona in the life sciences sector is the large ecosystem already existing here”

Artur Palet, Commercial Innovation Lead for EMEA & Latam at Roche Diagnostics

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The Sant Cugat campus is home not only to the Spanish affiliates of Roche Diagnostics and Roche Diabetes Care but also to one of the group's most important global R&D centers. From Barcelona, multidisciplinary teams are driving innovation in clinical lab software, automation, and digital health services for diabetes care. “We at Roche Diagnostics develop technological solutions for clinical diagnostics and clinical laboratories,” Palet adds.

A Thriving Life Sciences Ecosystem in Catalonia

Catalonia offers Roche a strategic advantage thanks to its consolidated life sciences ecosystem. “The advantage for us being in Barcelona in the life sciences sector is the large ecosystem already existing here,” says Palet. “It’s a unique combination of biomedical research institutes associated with university hospitals, academia, and big infrastructures such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center or the Centre for Genomic Regulation.”

The proximity of these research institutions and companies has helped create an environment where knowledge transfer and innovation happen organically. Roche leverages this network to collaborate on new projects and recruit top talent. “This generates an ecosystem for talent, which is very important for us. It enables networking and collaboration in specific projects, but also it’s a source of talent that we can recruit for our own company.”

Attracting Global Talent from Barcelona

In addition to its innovation ecosystem, Barcelona’s quality of life makes it a magnet for international professionals. “Another reason for us being here is that Barcelona is attractive for many people to live,” says Palet. “We are around 1,400 employees in the Sant Cugat site, and these are from 29 different countries. We recruit globally.”

Roche’s presence in Catalonia is not just about technology—it’s about people. The region’s multicultural environment and strong educational system allow Roche to continue scaling its innovation efforts while reinforcing its global reach. “It is easy for people to decide to come to Barcelona to work rather than to other places. So, we have wider access to talent being here.”

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