QIAGEN, a Netherlands-based knowledge-processing organization (KPO), plans to hire a substantial number of Filipino graduates in biology and other related branches of life sciences as part of their global expansion.
“For Qiagen, Manila provides multiple advantages, first and foremost the highly educated people here. Service quality, hospitality and international language proficiency ensure that our shared service center will help us better serve our customers worldwide. We also take advantage of the geographic position. The combination with our Polish shared service center allows us to provide services for the US and Asia-Pacific regions, ensuring full coverage and business continuity across time zones and regions,” Qiagen Chief Financial Officer Roland Sackers said in a recent interview with the media during the opening of its shared service center in the country.
He said the company would be recruiting Filipino experts in Biology and other life sciences to cater to the needs of the clients in the global market.
By establishing its presence in the country, he said Qiagen Business Service (QBS) Manila aims to maximize the opportunities in a growing market and at the same time, help in the development of the health-care industry for the benefit of the Filipinos.
“We will be getting 200 people which will led by biotechnologists over the next 18 months. In addition, we will also be hiring people specializing in customer relations management, finance, sales support, human resource and other fields,” he said.
He added QBS Manila will play an important role in the global operations, specifically in the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.
QBS Manila Country Head Chiles de Leon said the company is open to form partnerships with local universities for research projects in the future. He also stressed the importance of a partnership with the academe as it will benefit both parties.
“The universities can provide the brains and the manpower to research projects while industry can has the resources and the latest technologies to advance research and development,” de Leon said.
De Leon added QBS Manila will give the parent company 24/5 coverage of customers worldwide. He said the exposure of Filipino biotechnologists to the global environment will enhance their skills and capabilities.
Qiagen serves more than 500,000 customers around the world in molecular diagnostics (human health care), applied testing (mainly forensics), pharmaceutical (pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies) abd academia (life sciences research).