The HP International Center in Sant Cugat, Barcelona, celebrated its 40th anniversary as a “global reference center” and an “engine of innovation, talent and growth for Spain and the world.” Founded in 1985 as a small graphics plotter manufacturing plant in Terrassa, the center has evolved to become the multinational’s largest R&D hub outside the United States, being a world leader in large format printing, 3D printing, sustainability and digital transformation.
The celebration of the international center served as a framework to announce the new direction of the campus, which will be established as a global reference center for the development of HP Artificial Intelligence. And the company has announced the launch of a new AI Hub in the center’s facilities in such a way that Sant Cugat will be a strategic commitment to artificial intelligence (AI) as a growth engine for the company and as a key tool to reinvent the way we work.
The HP AI Innovation Hub integrates a multidisciplinary team of more than 200 professionals, in collaboration with universities, technology centers and local and international partners. With the participation of up to 14 business units, this project positions HP Barcelona as a global reference axis in innovation with artificial intelligence and reaffirms the company’s commitment to innovation from Spain to the world. The objective is that the solutions developed in the hub have a direct impact on strategic sectors: from the improvement of printing flows and the automation of construction processes, to the creation of 3D parts with a simple prompt.
Daniel Martínez, Director of the HP Barcelona International Center and global president of HP’s Large Format division, highlighted the “capacity for reinvention that this center has had over the years and the wonderful responsibility of taking this center into the future, of preparing it for the next stage.” Referring to the new focus, he stated that they are looking for “that next path of growth that will ensure us the next 40 years through AI. I am convinced that the new IA Innovation Hub will be the next chapter of that legacy, promoting technology with purpose from Barcelona to the world.”
The international center: a great asset for HP
The four decades of existence of the HP international center in Barcelona have left milestones that reflect the magnitude and its impact on the global technological ecosystem. Today, HP Barcelona has more than 2,600 employees of 60 nationalities and a team of more than 800 R&D engineers, half of them specialized in software. The campus has established itself as a global technology center and registers more than 150 patents each year, reinforcing its leadership in innovation.
The commitment to young talent is also one of its hallmarks, with more than 300 students participating annually in dual training and internship programs. As stated by Inés Bermejo, general director of HP Iberia, «this center is much more than an asset for HP. “It means an asset to attract talent, transfer knowledge, generate innovation, as well as an example of HP’s continued commitment to Spain.” The general director highlighted that HP Barcelona “is not only a reference in technology, it is a reference for all those companies that want to invest in creating a technological hub on a global scale.”
The four decades of existence of the HP international center in Barcelona have left milestones that reflect the magnitude and its impact on the global technological ecosystem
For her part, Helena Herrero, President of HP for Southern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, described the evolution of the place, stating that “this space has gone from being a place that was full of farms to being a Silicon Valley. The founding spirit of the Palo Alto garage in which HP emerged and the pursuit of excellence have been key. This center is a wonderful ambassador of our company to the world, but also of this country to the world.”
The board is right, since in this international center, innovation is not just a matter of technology. Sant Cugat’s commitment is to create experiences that drive growth and improve the daily lives of people and organizations, making things simpler, faster, smarter and more sustainable. For example, Barcelona has created three major technological milestones that changed the industry: HP Inkjet and HP Latex large format printing technologies, 3D printing with HP Multi Jet Fusion technology and the HP SitePrint robot, which speeds up construction processes up to 10 times.
The evolution of the HP Barcelona international center goes beyond technological advances: it is also reflected in the transformation of its environment and community. New buildings, cutting-edge laboratories, employee networks, sports clubs and spaces such as La Masia Experience Design Center have made this campus a space designed not only for working, but also for generating community, well-being and shared innovation.
One of the most emblematic examples is the Graphics Experience Center (GEC), inaugurated in 2007, which today receives thousands of annual visits from clients and collaborators from all over the world. In 2024, the Customer Welcome Center (CWC) was added, designed to showcase a unique view of how HP technology, including AI, transforms productivity in hybrid work environments.
