Grifols will invest 160 million euros in a new production plant in Lliçà de Vall

Grifols continues to strengthen its commitment to Vallès Oriental, the territory where the multinational was born and from which it has expanded internationally. The pharmaceutical company will invest 160 million euros in the construction of a new production plant in Lliçà de Vall, a municipality adjacent to the Parets del Vallès industrial park where the Catalan multinational opened its first factory in 1972, and where it still concentrates a large part of its production centers today. The forecast is that construction of the new complex will begin this year so that the plant will be operational by 2030, creating more than 400 qualified jobs when it is in operation.

These new facilities will allow Grifols to double its plasma fractionation capacity, a process by which the different components of blood are separated to subsequently manufacture medicines to treat rare or chronic diseases. "The expansion of our production capacity will allow us to ensure, from our new facilities, the growing European demand for plasma-derived drugs," defends Nacho Abia, its CEO. Thus, the company will respond to the more than 300,000 patients across Europe who are estimated to depend on this type of medication.

This project, in reality, had been part of the multinational's plans for years. Initially planned to start in 2018, Grifols finally formalized the acquisition of this land in Lliçà de Vall in May 2020. Five years later, and after the internal reorganization of the company ---after the Grifols family left their executive positions--- caused by the accusations of the Gotham fund, the company will begin construction this year.

With the forecast that the work will last for about five years, the new plant will be operational by 2030. In addition to the plasma fractionation plant, this new complex, which will occupy an area of more than 80,000 square meters, will also concentrate a logistics operations center, an analysis laboratory, and several warehouses. Likewise, it will also have a new space for the Grifols Engineering team ---provider of biopharmaceutical facilities---- who will be in charge of building the facilities of the company's new center.

"Spain and Catalonia are essential strategic partners for our long-term growth and for jointly promoting scientific progress in the health area, as well as the industrial, environmental, and social development of the region," added its CEO, stating that this new space will have a positive impact both on this area and on the Spanish economy as a whole. The company, in fact, already estimates that the impact it generates in Spain exceeds 1.5 billion euros.

With this new plant, the company will turn this area of Vallès Oriental into its large production center, with a total of 25 hectares, between the current facilities in Parets del Vallès and the new ones in Lliçà de Vall. In addition, with the creation of more than 400 new jobs at the future plant, Grifols will exceed 3,700 employees in this area of Catalonia, which will be added to the more than 4,6000 people the company employs in Spain.