Once more, ESTEVE has been recognized with the highest rating for its commitment to innovation and quality of its research. In 2017, ESTEVE invested 81 million Euros in R&D&I activities, with a substantial part of its workforce dedicated to the discovery and development of new drugs, and with several highly innovative programs of their own in New Molecular Entities, which are currently in different research phases, mainly in the field of neuroscience.

ESTEVE has its own R&D center. Since 2012, all the key units for drug discovery and preclinical development are located in the 'Parc Científic de la Universidad de Barcelona (PCB)’, the scientific park of Barcelona University, at facilities of 2,400 m2. The rating of "Excellent" and in Group A of the program 'Plan Profarma’ recognizes ESTEVE as a company with significant and cutting-edge innovative research activity in Spain.

The main objective of the program 'Plan Profarma' is to boost competitiveness within the pharmaceutical industry in Spain through the modernization of the sector and furthering those activities that prove to be essential and provide greater added value, such as investment in new industrial plants and new technologies for production, and fostering research, development and innovation.