Becton, Dickinson Builds Spanish Medical Devices Plant

"BD's new plant in Zaragoza will produce drug delivery devices, primarily for pharmaceutical companies that supply the European market with drugs in pre-fillable syringes such as vaccines and other biologic drugs," said Eric Borin, worldwide president of BD Pharmaceutical Systems. "This new plant will also add needed capacity to support major vaccination campaigns, such as the one currently taking place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The plant will initially have a workforce of 150 people and cover an area of 8,000 m2. By, 2030, BD expects to employ up to 600 staff with the plant extended to cover 30,000 m2.

BP said it chose Zaragoza after a “detailed location search process” because of the region’s optimal conditions on offer, the synergies available with the firm’s Fraga facility, as well as the “results and excellent performance” of its other plants in Spain. Two more Spanish plants are located in San Agustin de Guadalix and Almaraz.

Altogether, the three existing plants in Spain produce 10 billion medical devices each year and employ 1,500 people. BD added that the Fraga plant is a key site for manufacturing Covid-19 vaccination injection devices.

Last December, BD announced a $1.2 billion investment program spread over four years to expand and upgrade its manufacturing capacity and technology for pre-fillable syringes and advanced drug delivery systems. The program, part of its 2025 growth strategy, will see projects implemented across six locations worldwide, as well as the addition of the new Spanish plant. The six facilities are located in Le Pont-de-Claix, France; Swindon, UK; Tatabanya, Hungary; Columbus, Nebraska, USA; Cuautitlan, Mexico; and Fukushima, Japan.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist