In Plaza Catalunya in Barcelona there are not only shops and shopping centers. Although it may seem strange, this busy place also develops cutting-edge technology that is used daily by large companies in the healthcare and automotive sectors. This is the result of the activity of the Swiss multinational Erni, which landed in the city in 2011 and since then has grown to reach a staff of almost 300 people.
“Barcelona has established itself as the center with the largest number of employees, placing itself even above the team that works in the central office in Zurich,” comments Albert Alsina, who has been appointed as the new general director of Erni in Spain, replacing Gerard. Spreader.
Spain is a strategic market, where the group not only works for projects at a local level, but also at a global level. “In two years we plan to reach 400 employees and expand our presence in the Madrid and Valencia offices,” says Alsina, who recalls that Erni also has an innovation laboratory in Sant Cugat that opened its doors two years ago. In total, the firm employs a thousand people spread across several European offices, the United States, Singapore and the Philippines.
The multinational does not reveal names of clients but assures that they are large reference companies in the world of healthcare, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and other sectors such as video games, mobility or finance. “To give an example, we have developed the technology behind PCR tests,” says the manager, who points out that the group’s key services are engineering and software development.
Erni’s turnover in Spain is around 20 million euros. “We are growing at double-digit annual rates and this year we will maintain the level,” says the manager. According to data from the Commercial Registry, the company had a turnover of 18 million in 2022 and 16.5 million in 2021.
Among the growth strategies, its plan to acquire competitors also stands out. The company launched it two years ago, but so far it has not completed any operations. “Looking ahead to next year we will reactivate the plan since we are now focusing our efforts on the growth of the offices in Madrid, where we have made an investment to increase office space,” he comments.
The expansion plan is carried out on a self-financed basis. The company is in the hands of its founder, Swiss businessman Daniel Erni, who started the business 25 years ago with the aim of helping to digitalize the industrial fabric of his country.