Julio Gay‑Ger, president and general manager – Iberia Hub
Today, it not only exports medicines to more than 100 countries, but also hosts an R&D centre with both chemistry and biology laboratories, making the Spanish subsidiary one of the few Lilly sites worldwide that combines preclinical research and industrial operations.
In June 2025, the company announced a 175‑million‑dollar investment to turn the plant into a Global Centre of Excellence for Packaging. The project will run through 2030 and will create 75 new jobs. In this interview, Julio Gay-Ger,, Lilly’s President and General Manager for Spain, Portugal and Greece, explains the project in more detail, outlines its impact on the region and reflects on the support received from Invest in Madrid. “Their support has been invaluable,” he says.
Lilly has been present in Spain for over 60 years and is today one of the country’s most significant pharmaceutical companies in terms of industrial output, research and exports. For those less familiar with the company, how would you describe Lilly’s presence in Spain and Madrid, and its contribution to the pharmaceutical sector and public health?
J.G.G.: Lilly Spain stands as one of the most prominent and research-committed affiliates within the global Lilly network, built on a strong foundation of technological capability, expertise and talent, as well as its location and deep connections with the scientific community.
Its contribution to the country’s health goes well beyond supplying innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs. Through its preclinical research, its clinical trials — conducted in collaboration with 944 research teams across the country — and its manufacturing activity focused on the packaging and conditioning of medicines exported to more than 120 countries, Lilly has made a meaningful and lasting contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge in Spain.
After a long career within the company, you have just taken on the leadership of Lilly in Spain, Portugal and Greece. How have you seen Lilly evolve in Spain over the years? What milestones would you highlight in its growth?
J.G.G.: Lilly was born from a partnership between a local company and the American parent, which has always given it a very distinctive character and a uniquely powerful cultural blend.
The origins of Lilly Spain date back to January 1953, when Sociedad Indiana S.A. was incorporated in Madrid and began distributing Eli Lilly & Company’s medicines across the country. In June 1963, Eli Lilly and Company formed a joint venture with its Spanish partners — an arrangement that lasted until January 1996, when the affiliate became wholly owned by Eli Lilly.
In 1968, driven by growing production volumes, the Alcobendas plant was inaugurated. That same facility, following several major refurbishments, continues to operate today, supplying medicines to more than 120 countries.
Lilly’s preclinical research activity in Spain dates back to 1983, and in 2002 the R&D Centre was inaugurated — one of the best-equipped in the country, housing both a medicinal chemistry laboratory and a biology laboratory.
What does this appointment mean to you personally, and what are your main strategic objectives for this new chapter?
J.G.G.: This appointment has been a dream come true. The Spanish affiliate is a benchmark and point of reference for affiliates outside the United States across the entire Lilly world, and becoming part of this team has been a long-held ambition. Lilly is living a historic moment: we are the most valuable pharmaceutical company by market capitalisation, and we rank twelfth among all listed companies across all sectors. But that position brings enormous responsibility — to make our promise of innovation real by ensuring that each of our treatments reaches every patient who needs it. Last year we served around 50 million patients; this year it will be 70 million. My goal is to achieve that for the patients of Spain, Portugal and, through our joint venture, Greece as well.
Lilly is one of the few companies in Spain that covers the entire pharmaceutical value chain, from research through to production and export.
J.G.G.: That is the result of a sustained, long-term commitment. Spain is one of the very few countries outside the United States where Lilly concentrates both preclinical research and industrial activity. We cover the entire process: from initial laboratory synthesis and clinical research through to packaging, distribution and export.
None of this would be possible without the calibre of our researchers and professionals. The decision to establish and consolidate the R&D Centre in Spain was taken because there is a scientific ecosystem and a healthcare system that allows our researchers to work at the highest level. The commitment to the Alcobendas plant has enabled us to export medicines to more than 120 countries and to remain at the forefront of innovation, with the most advanced systems and equipment to meet the growing demand for our medicines. Both of these facts also contribute to reinforcing the importance of the pharmaceutical sector in Spain.
The Alcobendas plant has nearly sixty years of history and is today one of the group’s strategic assets. What research, development and production processes take place there? What role does it play within Lilly’s global network?
J.G.G.: The Alcobendas plant carries out the final conditioning and packaging of medicines prior to commercialisation, supplying products to more than 120 countries. Operating at that scale entails enormous complexity: each country has its own regulatory requirements, and we are subject to constant inspections by authorities from around the world. That demands exceptionally high standards of quality, traceability and compliance — standards the plant has consistently met, year after year.
How many people currently work in Alcobendas, and what skillsets are you looking for? How would you assess access to specialised talent in the Madrid Region, particularly in areas such as R&D, engineering and life sciences?
J.G.G.: Lilly currently employs around 1,200 professionals in Alcobendas. It is a highly diverse team, reflecting the fact that the company covers every phase of the medicine lifecycle, from research and development through to production and commercialisation. As a result, we bring together highly specialised profiles — chemists, biologists, pharmacists and physicians — alongside professionals equally essential to our industrial and corporate operations, such as engineers, IT specialists, economists and legal experts. At this stage of the plant’s growth, there is particularly strong demand for qualified vocational training professionals, who are fundamental to ensuring operational and production excellence.
The Madrid Region offers an exceptionally favourable environment for accessing specialised talent. The combination of prestigious universities, a strong network of vocational training centres and world-class research institutions makes the region a genuine talent hub in areas such as R&D, engineering and life sciences.
This ecosystem not only enables companies to attract highly qualified professionals, but also supports their continuous development — strengthening the sector’s competitiveness and capacity for innovation.
You have just announced an investment of €175 million to transform the plant into a Global Centre of Excellence. What does the project involve, and what economic, technological and social impact could it have on the region?
J.G.G.: The €175 million investment will transform our Alcobendas plant into a Global Centre of Excellence for Packaging, reinforcing its strategic role within Lilly’s international industrial network and significantly expanding our capabilities for the conditioning and packaging of oral and injectable medicines through advanced automation technologies, data integration and artificial intelligence. The project, which will run through to 2030, will have a meaningful economic impact on the Community of Madrid through the creation of 75 highly skilled new jobs and the strengthening of the local industrial and technological base. Its technological impact will consolidate the plant as a world reference for efficiency, quality and safety. And its social impact is equally clear: innovative medicines produced in Madrid will reach patients in more than 120 countries, further deepening our collaboration with the region’s scientific, healthcare and academic ecosystem, and reaffirming our long-term commitment to Spain and to patients.
Invest in Madrid supported the development of this investment project. What value did this collaboration bring? Are there any aspects of the institutional or administrative support that you found particularly valuable, or areas where there may be room for improvement?
J.G.G.: The support has been, and continues to be, highly significant. In an industrial project of this scale, the administrative complexity is considerable, and having a counterpart that facilitates access to the institutional ecosystem makes a real difference.
Invest in Madrid has accompanied us in key meetings, helped coordinate across different administrations and brought clarity and predictability to the process. Public-private collaboration works when it is grounded in dialogue and a genuine willingness to find solutions. Continuing to advance the simplification of administrative procedures will always be a positive step toward attracting high-impact projects.
How would you describe Lilly’s relationship with the business, scientific and institutional ecosystem of the Madrid Region? Do you believe there is genuine collaboration between industry, government, universities and research centres?
J.G.G.: Yes — and it is a genuine and practical collaboration. We participate actively in the sectoral ecosystem, including through Farmaindustria, and we maintain a fluid relationship with the regional administration. With universities and research centres, we collaborate on scientific projects, academic chairs and training programmes. All of this contributes to talent development and knowledge transfer. There is always room to improve, but Madrid has a very strong foundation from which to continue building this model.
Lilly participated as a sponsor of the Madrid Investment Forum, which brings together leading investors, institutions and companies. What does this kind of initiative offer a multinational like yours, and what role do you think it plays in projecting Madrid internationally as a hub for investment, innovation and talent?
J.G.G.: Initiatives such as the Madrid Investment Forum create a high-level platform where international investors, leading companies and institutions can come together to share perspectives on innovation and economic development. For Lilly, participating as a sponsor is a way of reaffirming our commitment to Madrid and to Spain.
For the region, forums of this kind also send a clear message internationally: Madrid is a competitive and stable region, well positioned to host industrial and technological projects with global reach.
Madrid has established itself as the centre of the pharmaceutical industry in Spain and one of the most dynamic hubs in Europe. From your experience, what advantages does the region offer a company like Lilly? And how do you think Lilly has contributed to strengthening that position?
J.G.G.: Madrid brings together many factors that are rarely found in combination: highly qualified talent, world-class scientific institutions, an excellent hospital network and logistics infrastructure that enables operations at global scale.
At Lilly, we believe we have contributed to that positioning through a sustained industrial and scientific presence, significant investment, the creation of skilled employment and active participation in the ecosystem. To continue advancing, ensuring access to innovation, legal certainty and effective public-private collaboration will be essential.
Finally, if you had to send a message to international companies considering investing or expanding in Madrid, what reasons would you highlight?
J.G.G.: Above all, I would highlight that Madrid combines talent, stability and a forward-looking vision. It is a region with highly qualified professionals, a dynamic scientific and business ecosystem, excellent international connectivity and an outstanding quality of life.
Our experience shows that it is not simply a good place to invest — it is an environment where you can grow, innovate and build projects with real impact on the economy and on society.