The transformation of the pharmaceutical industry is not measured only in terms of molecules, clinical trials, or patents. It is also measured by its appeal to incorporate hybrid, highly qualified profiles capable of connecting science, technology, and data management. In attracting talent. In this race, Spain has gained weight and Catalonia, specifically, appears as one of the strategic hubs of the sector in Europe.
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With nearly 60,000 direct jobs, our country ranks fourth in the European Union in the number of workers in the pharmaceutical industry. This labor muscle is complemented by a distinctive feature in a market where structural gaps still persist. The most innovative pharmaceutical industry has become a benchmark in equality, with women representing 56% of the workforce and 45% of management committees.
With nearly 60,000 direct jobs, our country ranks fourth in the European Union in the number of workers in the pharmaceutical industry
This increasingly interconnected ecosystem has made Spain a point of attraction for large international companies. Undoubtedly due to its scientific and industrial capacity, but also because of factors such as quality of life, global connectivity, and the existence of highly specialized knowledge hubs, such as the BioRegion of Catalonia. A paradigmatic example is Novartis, which has placed one of the axes of its global innovation strategy in Barcelona.
The hub model, key to pharmaceutical innovation
Far from responding to the traditional logic of large organizations, Novartis hubs in Spain operate as interconnected knowledge nodes, where disciplines that until recently evolved separately converge. Science, operations, data, clinical development, technology, and business coexist in the same architecture designed with the goal of delivering innovation to the patient sooner.
Novartis hubs in Spain operate as interconnected knowledge nodes, where disciplines that until recently evolved separately converge
The challenge is enormous. Technologies such as RNA, gene and cell therapy, or radioligand therapies are redefining the boundaries of medicine today and, at the same time, require a transformation of certain processes, such as research or distribution. And this is where hubs act as spaces where methodologies are redesigned, capabilities integrated, and new ways of working tested to ensure that innovation arrives equitably and sustainably.
The scale of this structure in Spain gives an idea of its relevance. These hubs already concentrate more than 700 highly specialized professionals and represent 42% of Novartis’s workforce in the country. But there is more: the company plans to continue expanding its presence in Barcelona and strengthening the expansion of its network of hubs in Spain.
These hubs already concentrate more than 700 highly specialized professionals and represent 42% of Novartis’s workforce in the country
A global, diverse, and highly qualified talent
Another characteristic that defines the hubs is their diversity. They bring together 53 nationalities. The profile is mostly that of qualified talent, with an average age of 41, accustomed to working in multicultural and highly demanding environments.
At the same time, the structure of these hubs stands out for parity. 55.4% of the positions are held by women, who also represent 51.9% of leadership roles, a rare picture in technology-intensive sectors.
The structure of these hubs stands out for parity: 55.4% of the positions are held by women, who also represent 51.9% of leadership roles
At the heart of these figures lies an increasingly evident reality. Spain no longer competes only to attract investment but also to become a place where talent wants to stay. The combination of an advanced healthcare ecosystem, a consolidated research network, and a high quality of life has placed the country in an advantageous position in the global race for the most qualified profiles.
From Barcelona to the world
One of the singularities of Novartis hubs in Spain is their reach. What happens in them has a direct impact on the company’s global operations. In the Data Digital & IT area, for example, Barcelona has consolidated as a nerve center from which technological solutions are developed to support international programs, such as patient care or the distribution of advanced therapies.
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This global dimension is replicated in the Global Finance area, which operates with a logic closer to that of a tech startup. Through artificial intelligence and predictive analytics tools, this hub can anticipate needs and offer drug forecasts for more than 80 countries, integrating data and decisions in real time.
One of the singularities of Novartis hubs in Spain is their reach. What happens in them has a direct impact on the company’s global operations
The scope of these operations extends to especially sensitive areas, such as patient safety. From Spain, the Global Development area coordinates pharmacovigilance processes on an international scale, while Technical Operations manages the logistics associated with advanced therapies, especially complex, as they require extremely tight delivery times.
At the same time, Global Medical Affairs articulates the scientific relationship with healthcare professionals worldwide, and Global Quality ensures the consistency and execution of campaigns in diverse cultural contexts.
In parallel, technological transformation also projects itself toward the organization itself. Initiatives such as Precision Talent Management use artificial intelligence to personalize professional development, allowing employees themselves to manage their evolution through digital platforms. Added to this is Coach Mira, an AI-based support tool that reflects how innovation is not limited to the product but also extends to talent management.
Initiatives such as Precision Talent Management use AI to personalize professional development, allowing employees themselves to manage their evolution through digital platforms
Corporate culture and innovation without hierarchies
If the hub structure defines the what, the organizational culture explains the how. Novartis has promoted in Spain a model that breaks with traditional hierarchies and bets on an unbossed and inclusive philosophy, based on autonomy, responsibility, and cross-functional collaboration.
The company is very aware of this logic of transformation and innovation, and diversity is essential for it. Novartis has various employee groups working in areas such as gender equality, the LGTBI+ community, sustainability, well-being, or disability, contributing to creating more inclusive and, at the same time, more innovative environments.
Novartis has promoted in Spain a model that breaks with traditional hierarchies and bets on an unbossed and inclusive philosophy, based on autonomy, responsibility, and cross-functional collaboration
For its part, the commitment to specialized knowledge runs throughout the organization. In hubs, more than 68% of the workforce has a university degree, a figure that reinforces the idea that the Spanish pharmaceutical industry relies on increasingly qualified profiles prepared to face the challenges of a sector in full transformation.
Recognition and projection
This positioning has not gone unnoticed in the business field. In 2025, Novartis Spain has been included among the 100 best companies to work for and, during the last decade, has been considered by MERCO as the pharmaceutical company with the best reputation in Spain. These recognitions reflect the consistency of its model beyond punctual results.
The current pharmaceutical industry market is marked by competition for talent and scientific acceleration. And here Spain appears as one of the territories where this transformation takes concrete shape. Novartis hubs in Barcelona are, in this sense, the best expression of a scale change that involves moving from being receivers of knowledge to becoming generators of solutions with global impact.
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