The Swiss pharmaceutical company will increase its R&D investment in Spain by 33% compared to 2025, reaching 84 million euros. The Sant Cugat centre, where 1,500 people work, is the company's main hub for digital diagnostic solutions worldwide.
Roche Diagnostics, the diagnostic division of the Swiss pharmaceutical company, has announced a 33% increase in its R&D investment in Spain for 2026, reaching 84 million euros. The main beneficiary will be its Sant Cugat del Vallès centre, which employs around 1,500 people, of whom 500 are engineers dedicated to the research and development of technology and science.
This centre is the largest hub for creating digital diagnostic solutions for Roche worldwide. The company has four such hubs, but the one in Sant Cugat is the largest, making Barcelona and the Vallès town a strategic location for the corporation.
A growing talent attraction hub
Adriana Rubio, General Director of Roche Diagnostics in Spain, highlighted that the workforce at the centre has increased by 30% in the last year and that the intention is to continue investing in these facilities as a talent attraction hub. The centre, inaugurated in 2003, was renovated and expanded a year ago following an investment of over 50 million euros.
“This is a growth that we anticipate will be sustained over time, as there is a strong commitment to Barcelona as a digital hub,” Rubio stated. The professionals at the centre are not only responsible for commercial functions and logistics for the entire Iberian Peninsula but also for developing solutions that enhance the patient experience globally.
Innovation with artificial intelligence and sensors
Among the most notable developments from the Sant Cugat centre is a glucose sensor with an application that helps diabetic patients manage their condition. Additionally, they have created an algorithm based on artificial intelligence (AI) that allows the glucose meter to predict levels with a seven-hour advance, providing peace of mind to patients overnight.
“Today, the portfolio of digital solutions designed by our team in Spain is marketed worldwide,” Rubio emphasised. The executive explained that Spain is a key location for healthcare innovation for three reasons: a well-designed structure for evaluating, adopting, and scaling innovation; an ecosystem of proactive healthcare professionals; and being one of the leading countries in the European Union in terms of clinical trials.
The investment of 84 million euros represents a boost to research activities in Sant Cugat. Residents of the province of Barcelona can expect this growth to translate into more skilled jobs and a greater presence of cutting-edge healthcare technology in local hospitals. In fact, Roche Diagnostics is already collaborating with Catalan healthcare centres to implement its digital solutions.
The Sant Cugat centre, which already renovated and expanded its facilities last year, is preparing to welcome new researchers and develop projects that, according to the company, will continue to improve the quality of life for patients worldwide. The forecast is that the workforce will continue to grow in the coming years, consolidating Barcelona's position as a technological hub in the healthcare field.
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