HIPRA received this Wednesday the Bien Hecho en España award, granted by the Ministry of Industry in recognition of the company’s contribution to the strategic autonomy. Thanks to its commitment to industrial leadership in the biotechnology field, scientific innovation and in-house production capacity, the company received the award from King Felipe VI.
HIPRA plays an essential role in strengthening European health capacity through a One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health. Among the most notable initiatives is the EU FAB project, in which the company was selected to ensure flexible production capacity in emergency situations.
In fact, in response to an emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic, HIPRA succeeded in developing the first Spanish COVID-19 vaccine, entirely developed and manufactured in Spain and Europe. This marked a significant step forward in strengthening Europe’s biotechnological production independence after 50 years of experience in veterinary health -experience and contribution to animal health being a fundamental pillar of HIPRA’s history. The company ranks fifth worldwide in animal health vaccines, works with more than 300 pathogens, and has developed over 20 veterinary vaccines registered with the EMA over the past decade.
HIPRA also leads the SPEEDCELL project, an EU4Health programme initiative aimed at providing Europe with greater agility and technological preparedness, with the goal of reducing to just 100 days the time required to develop new vaccines in future health crises. In addition, one year ago the company launched HIPRA Biotech Services, its specialized CDMO unit for the development and manufacturing of biologics for third parties.
HIPRA’s president, David Nogareda, accepted the award at the institutional event organized by the Ministry of Industry at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao, within the framework of the National Industry Congress, with Minister Jordi Hereu in attendance.
The company’s president stated that the award confirms that “industry matters, and a great deal.” “We sometimes take it for granted, but it is absolutely strategic for our country: the ability to design, produce, innovate and compete from Spain, with our own talent, a long-term vision and a strong commitment to society,” said Nogareda. The president of HIPRA welcomed the award as recognition of an industry that creates jobs, invests steadily in Spain, is rooted in the territory and has an international vocation.
HIPRA is grateful for this public recognition of a fundamental strategic pillar of the company and reaffirms its commitment to the path of global prevention. For this reason, HIPRA, while congratulating the other award recipients, also wishes to encourage both institutions and the Spanish and European industry to strengthen themselves in order to avoid dependence on third parties in the event of, for example, a potential pandemic in the biosanitary field.
