Institutional meeting in Barcelona to celebrate the first anniversary of the AstraZeneca Global Hub
The first anniversary of the AstraZeneca Global Hub, a project that is the result of a public-private collaboration between the company, the Government of Spain, the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council, was celebrated last Thursday in Barcelona. The event had the support and participation of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, who held his parliament by video conference, the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès, the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, and the President of AstraZeneca in Spain, Rick R. Suárez, among other institutional representatives.
The hub was inaugurated in March 2023 with the aim of becoming one of the largest centres of excellence and clinical innovation in Europe. In its first year, the centre has created more than 500 highly skilled jobs in Barcelona and plans to have almost 2,000 employees by the end of 2025, doubling the forecast for job creation compared to the previous year. At the first anniversary meeting, AstraZeneca announced that it is extending its investment in the project to 1.3 billion euros until 2027.
The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, stressed that “the first anniversary of the AstraZeneca Global Hub and its commitment to the city reaffirms the vision of the Barcelona of 2035, which has research and health as two key vectors”. “Barcelona is a scientific and innovation capital of the first order, a global capital of research in health and biotechnology,” added the mayor, emphasising the great commitments underway such as the Ciutadella Knowledge Hub.
Rick R. Suárez, President of AstraZeneca in Spain, explained that the increased investment in the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona aims to “strengthen Spain’s leadership and projection in global research and boost the region’s scientific and economic growth”.
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, said that “from the Government of Spain, we will continue at your side advancing in the leadership of medical R&D&I and the development of our scientific capabilities, which must be essential for a quality public health system”.
For his part, the President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, recalled that “we are a benchmark country in biomedical research” thanks to commitments such as this one, which, he said, “is causing a knock-on effect, with new opportunities, investments and projects”.
The AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona has positioned itself as an important generator of qualified, quality employment in the region. Sixty percent of the more than 500 employees currently working at the centre are women. It is composed of multidisciplinary teams in clinical development, regulatory affairs, biometrics, IT and digital innovation, among others, from 35 different nationalities.
