MedTech with Responsibility – Solutions that Connect
Interview with Laura Garcia Baglietto, Executive Vice President Medical Devices & Environment International of the GBA Group and Dr. Timo Lebold, Managing Director of GBA MDS GmbH
The GBA Group is one of the leading laboratory and consulting service providers in the European Life Sciences sector. In Gilching near Munich, GBA Medical Device Services GmbH offers regulatory consulting and comprehensive analytics for manufacturers of medical devices. In the interview, Laura Garcia Baglietto and Dr. Timo Lebold discuss purpose, change, and collaborative solutions in medical technology.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Garcia Baglietto, the GBA Group has grown significantly - what is behind this dynamic?
Laura Garcia Baglietto: We see ourselves as a life sciences service provider with a clear mission: we want to be a true partner to our clients by contributing to the market readiness of safe and effective products faster through our expertise in laboratory analytics, consulting and development. This is not an end in itself – we thereby make a direct contribution to patient safety, supply security, and ultimately to the quality of life. The GBA has been growing steadily since 1989 – we are now active in 13 countries with around 4,000 employees. Growth alone is not the goal: it is crucial that we make an impact with this growth.
Wirtschaftsforum: How does this effect manifest itself concretely, for example with MDS?
Dr. Timo Lebold: GBA Medical Device Services in Gilching is a good example. Since the integration two years ago, we have undertaken profound modernizations here. We rebuilt the site, quadrupled the lab space, and heavily invested in digitalization, automation, and skilled workers. All this while operating, which can certainly be described as surgery with the heart open. The goal was to respond quickly and reliably to rising demand in the medical technology sector – with efficient processes, short throughput times, and high analysis quality.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Garcia Baglietto, how do you integrate this dynamic into the overall corporate strategy?
Laura Garcia Baglietto: For me, it is crucial that we leverage the strengths of our decentralized structure. The GBA is a group of very diverse, often entrepreneurially driven units. We do not homogenize but instead foster synergies where they make sense. Our task is to think about integration strategically: We connect know-how, create spaces for development, and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit within the group. Our approach is not only operationally driven but also culturally: We respect what has made our partner companies successful – and build on it. This keeps us adaptable, resilient, and close to the needs of our customers.
Wirtschaftsforum: What does that concretely mean for your customers?
Laura Garcia Baglietto: Our clients benefit from a strong network that can support every phase in the life cycle of a medical product: from development and testing to market surveillance. Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, we are often a crucial partner in overcoming regulatory barriers and making a product market-ready at all. This can mean assisting in the creation of a licensing dossier or developing specific testing strategies – always with the goal to enable safe, sustainable products. And often behind the scenes. We are not loud, but we are decisive.
Wirtschaftsforum: You talk about creating meaning – where do you personally find the meaning in your work?
Dr. Timo Lebold: I consider it a privilege to work in an area where quality measurably determines patient safety. When we do our job well, products are not only faster to market, but also safer and more reliable. This is service with conviction. If one day I myself need a medical product, then I want it to have been reviewed by a reliable partner – just like we do for our clients.
Laura Garcia Baglietto: I feel the same way. I have been in the laboratory industry for nearly 20 years now, and what continually drives me is this quiet but effective contribution: We enable innovation, ensure quality, support trust. I believe we have a societal responsibility, especially in the Life Sciences sector.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you plan to develop further in the coming years?
Dr. Timo Lebold: We have now created the structural basis to remain efficient in the long term. Our goal is not a short-term effect, but sustainable customer benefit. This way, we will maintain our agility and efficiency, further develop our portfolio strategically, and not lose sight of our values. Economic success is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Laura Garcia Baglietto: As a service provider, we want to not only react but actively shape developments. In a dynamic field like medical technology, this is essential. If we do this with passion, excellence, and foresight, then we not only shape markets, we create real added value for health and society.