By Espie Angelica A. de Leon
QIAGEN, a Netherlands-based provider of solutions for transforming biological materials to molecular insights, has opened its Shared Service Center in the Philippines located at the Cyber Sigma building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
QIAGEN Business Services (QBS) Manila opened its doors on February 23 to officially start local operations and provide services related to supply chain management, customer care, accounting, technical, and sales to QIAGEN?s global operations.
?As the innovative market and technology leader, QIAGEN has now a home in the Philippines. This development enables QIAGEN on a strategic position to further grow its business significantly,? said QIAGEN Manila director Chiles de Leon during the grand opening attended by employees, key executives, partners, and members of the media.
With offices in over 25 countries including 60 sales offices, the company delivers products for molecular diagnostics, pharmaceutical and academic research, and applied testing. The latter includes forensics, veterinary diagnostics, food testing, and others.
Its portfolio boasts of more than 500 core products to be distributed in the Philippines by Getz Bros. Among these are ready-to-use reagent kits and assay components for sample processing and detection of molecular targets like DNA or RNA; individual instruments and combined platforms for automation of laboratory workflows; and bioinformatics software and knowledge bases for clinical and research applications of next-generation sequencing.
QBS Manila is expected to complement the company?s Shared Service Center in Wroclaw, Poland.
?The Manila office is much more customer-centric in terms of customer service and tech service,? said QIAGEN chief financial officer Roland Sackers. ?There?s a developing environment here. Both sides are going to grow.?
To date, QIAGEN?s Manila staff numbers to more than 80 employees and is expected to reach around 200 within the next 18 months. Among those they are looking to hire are laboratory scientists in biotechnology.
According to Sackers, the Philippines boasts of tremendous talent, with its well-educated scientists and the people?s high level of English proficiency.
He added that the support they?ve been getting from local institutes is also very good.
In a recorded message shown during the grand opening, QIAGEN chief executive officer Peer M. Schatz congratulated the Philippine staff.
?Scientists around the world are advancing the frontiers of knowledge and will rely on our services here in QIAGEN Manila, leading healthcare institutions and in part, the patients. We have a tremendous responsibility and you will be able to be proud of your contributions,? said Schatz.
