New Leitat building opens doors on new era of increased international projection
The President of the Government of Catalonia remarked that the Leitat technology center is “a show of trust in our country’s future and economic potential”.
Leitat has officially moved in to their new headquarters at the Orbital 40 Science and Technology Park in Terrassa and has become, as the President of the Government of Catalonia explained last Friday at the inauguration ceremony, the most important technology park in Catalonia, both in size and in international projection. “This new center is a show of trust in our country’s future and economic potential,” explained José Montilla.
Started in 1906 as a laboratory for textile trials and research by businesspeople in Terrassa, Leitat now encompasses diverse areas of expertise like advanced materials development, new production processes, nanobiotechnology, industrial chemistry and renewable energy. In order to reinforce their Biomedical area, they created the Biomed division, which is located at the Barcelona Science Park. The center provides technology and R&D services to national and foreign companies like Henkel, Oryzon, Rieter Saifa, Ficosa and Dogi.
The building (with 9,000 square meters of offices and laboratories) was made possible through an investment of 13 million euros financed by the Government of Catalonia, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Additionally, ACC1Ó has contributed more than 10 million euros to Leitat over the past four years for the development of R&D projects. Between 2006 and 2010 the center’s staff has gone from 62 to 160 workers and their turnover has tripled (13 million euros in 2009). Over the past years they have led 4 European R&D&i projects and have participated in another 6 with partners from more than 15 countries in the European Union. They have also worked on 17 national projects. This work has led to 13 patents, working with a total of 112 national and 30 foreign companies.
The International Center for Scientific Debate –driven by Biocat and the “la Caixa” Foundation– and Leitat have recently collaborated to organize the second annual MuscleTech Network Workshop From Translational Research to Translational Medicine, which brought international experts in muscle and tendon research to Barcelona.