The Pyrenees Immunology Research Center is born in Ordino

04/05/2021

The Pyrenees Immunology Research Center (Pyirc), a pioneering research center dedicated to the development of immunological therapies, will see the light of day in 2023 promoted by the pharmaceutical holding company Grífols. It is created with the intention of becoming an international benchmark in translational and clinical research for the development of treatments for disorders of the immune system, and it will be one of the few centers in Europe dedicated exclusively to immunology.

The Pyirc in data

The promoters of the project, a company created by Grífols (80%) and the state company Andorra Desenvolupament i Inversió (20%), intend to have structured the legal framework necessary to carry out the project in September, to immediately start the works that  will conclude in 2023. The Pyirc, which will be declared a project of national interest by the Govern d’Andorra, will be located in the parish of Ordino with an investment of about 25 million euros. The 6,000 square meter expandable complex will have the latest facilities and technologies, and will be designed by Grífols Engineering and Grífols Innovation and New Technologies.

The complex will initially host about 50 people, a permanent investigation team and a team of outside investigation experts. The center will also be integrated into the global network of ten Grífols R+D+I centers, which include 1,200 people; and according to the company, “it will be equipped with the most cutting-edge facilities and systems, as well as the latest technological advances in bioinformatics and data analysis.”

Why Andorra?

The Cap de Govern, Xavier Espot, affirms that Andorra presents the ideal conditions for a project that he hopes can attract new initiatives and investments in the field of research, innovation, science, health and technology to the country. Albert Grífols Coma-Cros, scientific head of the multinational, agrees on the advantages of the location: “Grifols has chosen Andorra for its location, infrastructure, quality of life and an international educational system, as well as its capacity for global attraction. All of them , very important factors to attract the best international scientific talent, one of the objectives of the Pyirc ”.

Sustainability

How could it be otherwise, the complex will strictly comply with the standards of sustainability and integration into the landscape, more specifically Ordino, a region declared a biosphere reserve.