Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Spain
Region
Este; Cataluña; Barcelona
Location of affected unit(s)
Barcelona as well as several locations in Vallès Occidental
Sector
Professional Services
Professional, Scientific And Technical Activities
Other Professional, Scientific And Technical Activities
74.9 - Other Professional, Scientific And Technical Activities N.E.C.

115 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
19 March 2024
Employment effect (start)
19 May 2024
Foreseen end date

Description

The technology centre Leitat, with a total workforce of 506 employees and research centres in Barcelona, Terrassa and Valencia, has proposed an employment redundancy file (ERE in Spanish) for a total of 115 workers. Initially, Leitat announced last 15 March 2024 an ERE for a total of 160 workers which, after an initial agreement with the workers' representatives, has been reduced to 115 redundancies. Specifically, Leitat plans to close imminently the WeLab centre, located in Barcelona and dedicated to the biotechnology sector.

According to company sources, the lay-off process is part of a new strategic plan that aims to recover the economic viability of Leitat, since the technology centre has accumulated losses of 27 million euros (of which 22.7 million euros come from WeLab). Meanwhile, the trade unions represented have expressed their opposition to the ERE and have demanded a negotiated solution to ensure the continuity of the activity and jobs. In this regard, the unions recall that Leitat's turnover increased by 13% in 2023.

Currently, Leitat receives public and private contributions and is led by several representatives of the technological and business world.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2024), Instituto Tecnológico Leitat, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 200950, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/200950.