French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has announced the launch this year of a new hub in Barcelona to accelerate its commitment to artificial intelligence. The company, focused on its goal of driving innovation and transforming the future of medicine, will thus create a new key centre in Spain, in addition to the Global Innovation Center (GIC) it opened in 2016, also in the Catalan capital.

Sanofi's new hub in Barcelona will create over 300 skilled jobs in AI engineering, data science, digital product development and advanced analytics. By opening this hub, the company is aiming to become the world's first large-scale AI-driven biopharmaceutical company.

Innovative ecosystem
The General Manager of Sanofi Spain, Raquel Tapia, explains that the choice of the Catalan capital for this space is “a new sign of confidence in the innovative ecosystem of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain”, and also describes the operation as a boost to its positioning as “a key driver in transforming the European healthcare system”.

Sanofi already previewed its approach to treating diseases through artificial intelligence at the Mobile World Congress in March. In particular, the company addressed innovation in multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable disease with a unique course for each patient. Experts at the roundtable agreed that AI can improve early diagnosis, optimise drug development and tailor treatments to individual patients.

Catalyst for innovation and transformation
Sanofi describes Spain as a strategic centre for developing its medicines and vaccines. The company has over 1,400 employees in Spain, divided between its offices in Barcelona and Madrid, its industrial centre in Gerona and its Global Innovation Center. Since opening its doors in 2016, the GIC has become a catalyst for innovation and company transformation around the world.

The GIC has three key objectives: to lead global programmes; to innovate, build and execute digital products; and to drive the transformation of certain functions. With more than 400 employees from over 40 nationalities, it works primarily in three areas: finance, the supply chain and digital transformation, as well as developing new technologies and tools, and optimising processes.

^{Photo: Sanofi}