Swiss chemical company ARXADA opens its global Center of Excellence in Barcelona creating 50 jobs so far

ARXADA, a global science-based specialty chemicals company headquartered in Switzerland, has inaugurated its Center of Excellence in Barcelona today. The company started setting up these facilities in the Barcelona in April, with plans to hire around 100 qualified professionals, half of whom have already joined the company. They include finance, IT, business intelligence, human resources, and commercial activities specialists.

For this project, the company has received the support of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, the Government’s agency for business competitiveness. The inauguration event of ARXADA’s facilities, located in Torre Llevant in Barcelona, was attended by the Secretary for Business and Competitiveness and ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment’s CEO, Albert Castellanos. The Swiss consul in Barcelona, Othmar Hardegger; and the representative of Barcelona City Council, Màrius Rubert, also participated.

Catalonia Trade & Investment CEO's Castellanos highlighted that ARXADA's new center of excellence in Barcelona: “demonstrates the trust that the company places in Catalonia, thanks to the country's assets such as a dynamic economy and industrial base; a strategic location in southern Europe; a combination of established sectors with new ones, as well as access to unique and disruptive technology and talent”. He also stressed that: “attracting foreign investment projects is a priority for the Government”, especially in the case of companies that, like ARXADA, "belong to sectors that are important for Catalonia, such as the chemical sector, that have a central role and a major challenge in the area of sustainability and the green transition and that generate stable and qualified employment."

ARXADA’s Chief Financial Officer, Peter Frauenknecht, said, "Building additional functions in Barcelona gives us access to an incredibly exciting pool of talent, as the city has become a destination for top global companies. Its proximity to our corporate headquarters in Switzerland ideally facilitates integration and collaboration”. “Currently, we already have 50 employees operating out of our Center of Excellence, and more will come. The hiring climate has exceeded our expectations”, he added.

ARXADA is setting up additional support and business functions for the whole group so that the Center of Excellence located in the Catalan capital can support the company's growth regionally and globally.

ARXADA is a global science-based specialty chemicals business creating innovative chemistry and solutions. The company aims to solve the world’s toughest preservation challenges by enhancing sustainability with cleaner, greener solutions. ARXADA focuses on multiple end-markets, primarily in: Human Health & Nutrition, Home & Personal Care, Paints & Coatings, and Wood Protection, providing a broad portfolio of differentiated products and solutions supported by its science and innovation capabilities, in-depth regulatory know-how and track record in manufacturing and process development.

Headquartered in Basel (Switzerland), the company’s 3,600 employees contribute to the success of its customers, spanning 25 production sites and 13 R&D centers. With customers in more than 100 countries, it achieved sales of €2.4 billion in 2022.