1.- Rooted in Spain for more than a century
Bayer’s history spans more than 160 years, 127 of them in Spain. For those who don’t know the company well, how would you describe its presence here today and its contribution to strategic areas such as health, innovation and food?
Bayer is deeply rooted in Spain and, at the same time, clearly international in outlook. We have more than 2,700 professionals and a network of research, production and innovation sites spanning the whole value chain, from early-stage science to delivering solutions to patients, consumers and farmers. For Bayer, Spain is not just a market: it is a strategic base from which we contribute to global projects.
Our contribution is built around a single purpose: “Health for All, Hunger for None”. In health, we develop innovative treatments and bring them to society in areas such as cardiovascular and kidney disease, oncology and ophthalmology, alongside self-care products that help people look after their everyday wellbeing. In agriculture, we help farmers move towards more productive, sustainable and resilient models, combining seeds, biological solutions and crop protection with digital tools.
Innovation is the thread that connects it all. We invested more than €145 million in Spain in 2025, bringing our cumulative total since 2019 to over €712 million. We also have some distinctive assets: our health and agriculture production and R&D sites, and the Barcelona Excellence Hub, which develops digital and AI solutions with global impact.
- Spain in Bayer’s global strategy
Spain has become a key market for Bayer, as well as a platform for innovation, production and R&D. What role does it play in the group’s international strategy today, and how has that role evolved in recent years?
Spain’s role today goes well beyond commerce: it is a strategic platform for Bayer’s innovation, production and R&D worldwide. We have a network of industrial, scientific and digital sites that covers almost the whole value chain, from research and clinical trials to manufacturing and the development of global solutions. Bayer’s nine production and research centres in Spain reflect the specialisation and competitiveness the country has achieved within the Group.
This position has strengthened steadily in recent years, thanks to local talent, the quality of the scientific and healthcare ecosystem, and our ability to bring together industry, research and digitalisation. Spain has moved from being mainly a market and a manufacturing base to a country that attracts investment, takes on global responsibilities and generates innovation for other markets. Our aim is to build on this momentum, win new international projects and increase Bayer’s economic and social impact in the country.
- Madrid and the Berlimed plant in Alcalá de Henares
Bayer’s Berlimed site in Alcalá de Henares is one of its main production centres in Spain, specialising in soft gelatin capsules, contrast media and therapeutic liquids, among other products. What role does the plant play in Bayer’s industrial structure and international network?
Berlimed has been operating in Alcalá de Henares since 1998. It is a global centre of excellence and the only Bayer site able to manufacture soft gelatin capsules, a dosage form used for cold and flu remedies, multivitamins, gastrointestinal products, painkillers, dermatological products and food supplements. The plant also produces therapeutic and diagnostic imaging medicines in liquid form. It is one of the most complete sites in the network, combining production with an R&D centre that includes a pilot plant for developing new products.
- A Madrid plant plugged into global supply chains
Products made in Madrid go to markets around the world. How much do Berlimed’s industrial capacity, quality and technological specialisation matter when competing inside a multinational like Bayer? And what determines whether a plant keeps winning new projects and capabilities?
Across our two product families, soft gelatin capsules and liquids, we reach patients and consumers in 120 countries. The plant has recently completed an ambitious investment programme to upgrade its infrastructure and expand production capacity. We built on our experience to design new areas with more efficient, digital, safe and ergonomic processes, using state-of-the-art technology.
Quality in medicine manufacturing is non-negotiable. Berlimed has a strong track record with some of the world’s most demanding health authorities, and a culture of quality embedded in every member of the team. This technical and quality foundation and, above all, the commitment and experience of our people are what keep new projects and products coming.
- Talent and skilled jobs
Bayer relies on people with highly specialised scientific, industrial, technological and business expertise. What kind of talent does the company need today? How do you see the availability of skilled professionals in the Community of Madrid, and the region’s ability to attract international talent?
Beyond production and R&D, Berlimed has in recent years become a hub for certain global functions that serve Bayer organisations outside Spain. This brings highly specialised capabilities to the site, including automation engineering, finance, process improvement and packaging materials engineering.
We need a wide range of specialists. A solid base of scientific and industrial talent remains essential, complemented by digital skills, analytical ability, business acumen and leadership. For roles closer to operating industrial equipment, we also look for strong technical grounding, so that people can take on autonomy and responsibility in running it.
- Innovation beyond medicine
Bayer operates across Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health and Crop Science, and is bringing AI, data and digital tools into its innovation processes. How are these technologies changing the business, and where do you see the biggest opportunities in the years ahead?
Bayer applies AI across its operations, from discovering and developing new medicines to optimising production, analysing clinical data, supporting precision agriculture and improving the experience of patients, healthcare professionals and farmers. AI helps us find solutions faster, anticipate needs, make data-driven decisions and use resources more efficiently, always guided by responsibility, ethics, security and human oversight. For Bayer, it is an extraordinary opportunity to extend the reach of science and move faster towards our purpose of “Health for All, Hunger for None”: more personalised, accessible healthcare, and a more productive, sustainable agriculture that can withstand the major challenges ahead.
At Berlimed, we are using digitalisation to become more efficient and flexible. The key initiatives are process automation and the use of AI, built on a strengthened IT infrastructure and, above all, on training for all our employees.
- Working with Madrid’s ecosystem
Madrid is home to universities, hospitals, research centres, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and a growing tech ecosystem. How does Bayer engage with this environment? Where do you see the greatest potential for closer collaboration between business, government, universities and research centres?
A company like ours has a responsibility to the community around it. We work with scientific and academic institutions such as the University of Alcalá and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), among others. Healthcare professionals visit the plant and see first-hand the quality behind the products they receive from us. We also engage with local businesses to share experience and look for ways to work together. And alongside other sites in Bayer’s Iberia network, we take part in Cuestión de Ciencia, a Bayer and Big Van Ciencia initiative that brings science closer to young people and encourages creative solutions to challenges in health, food and sustainability.
- Madrid as an industrial and life sciences hub
As an international company with an industrial presence in Alcalá de Henares, what do you see as the Community of Madrid’s main strengths in attracting projects in pharmaceuticals, life sciences and innovation?
Madrid offers several strengths that help it attract pharmaceutical projects: skilled talent, a solid scientific and business ecosystem (with a particularly high concentration of specialised companies in the field), good international connections and the ability to draw professionals from abroad. Collaboration between companies, institutions and government is also strong, which matters when planning long-term industrial investment.
- Bayer’s future in Madrid
Looking five or ten years ahead, what opportunities does Bayer see in Madrid? What will it take for the region to keep attracting industrial investment, innovation and high-value activities?
Competition is fierce, so the opportunity lies in staying a leader on the things that matter: access to specialised talent, a strong innovation ecosystem, competitive infrastructure and a stable, agile framework for investment. Collaboration among companies, universities, research centres and government will remain essential. We are convinced that, with public-private collaboration as the foundation, we will reach important milestones.
- A message to other international investors
Finally, what would you say to another multinational weighing an investment or expansion in Madrid? Why is the region worth backing?
I’d point to what I see as the most important factor: access to professionals with talent and values. Companies invest in their people’s development once they join, but those two qualities have to be there from the start if we want to succeed.
- Competing for investment inside a multinational
In a global group, investment decisions often pit countries and sites against each other for new projects. From your experience, what does Madrid need to compete in those decisions? And what tips the balance when Bayer chooses where to locate a new investment?
That’s right: in a multinational group, we often compete with other sites for the same investment. Madrid’s competitiveness today rests on a combination of skilled talent, good infrastructure, technological capability, competitive costs and a stable, agile environment for investment. But other factors, perhaps less tangible, make the difference when the group decides where to invest: the experience and reliability of Berlimed and its people. Put another way, it is the trust the site inspires.