Biotechnology company Qiagen establishes its global innovation centre in Esplugues

The Dutch multinational Qiagen plans to invest €13 million over the next five years in its new facilities in Esplugues de Llobregat. Currently based at the Barcelona Science Park, the company is set to relocate to its new operations centre at the former Braun factory. The centre, expected to be operational within two years, aims to nearly double its workforce, increasing from 230 to 400 professionals.

The new facility will span 8,000 square metres, housing laboratories, production lines, development spaces and offices. According to the company, it aims to position Esplugues and Catalonia as a global hub for research and innovation in infectious diseases, establishing itself as a leader in the health sector.

In 2018, Qiagen acquired the start-up Stat-Diagnostica, based at the Barcelona Science Park, for €154 million. In 2020, it purchased the Catalan company NeuMoDx Molecular, which had developed a PCR diagnostic test capable of detecting up to 23 respiratory pathogens within an hour. The Dutch multinational’s current turnover stands at €100 million, with a goal of doubling it to €200 million.

The real estate developer Conren Tramway acquired the Braun factory site in 2022 and undertook a comprehensive renovation of the space, preparing it primarily for activities like those of Qiagen. The British medical biotechnology company Smith+Nephew is already operating in the same complex.

Qiagen’s arrival at the complex is a strategic move, expected to attract more companies to the area and transform it into a biomedical activity hub, in synergy with the nearby Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and the upcoming Hospital Clínic, which is set to open at the end of Avinguda Diagonal.