GlaxoSmithKline to invest EUR 10 million in Romania

According to GlaxoSmithKline Romania General Manager Andre Vivan da Silva, the company will invest EUR 10 million in Romania over the next couple of years.

“Our company has a strong footprint in Romania,” da Silva said in his intervention on the British Panel at Business Review’s Country Focus. “It is one of our 20 locations and we need to protect it,” he explained, adding that in Romania maintaining the footprint posed challenges. In Romania maintaining the footprint is difficult. The time of waiting for approvals for trials is much higher here than in Poland, Hungary,” he said.

In a bid to improve the framework in which they operate, the company met on several occasions with representatives of Romanian authorities. “We had many meetings with government representatives. When we start talking to the government we say ‘fix it’ . We know they’re not able to fix everything at the same time. So we think ‘ how can we help you’? We start being more proactive, to make proposals. So we enter the game, wearing their shoes. We are trying a new approach and we are being successful,” he explained.