2025 Biocat Report: a year of strategic execution and international projection

2025 was a year of consolidating Biocat’s new strategic cycle and advancing in the rollout of projects that had begun to take shape the previous year. After 2024 was marked by the launch of initiatives like the Healthcare System Access Program (PASS), Advanced Therapies Network —now ATMP Catalonia— and the European project PRECISEU, 2025 allowed for progress in their implementation and strengthened their connection with other key areas like technology transfer, business acceleration, investment, talent and internationalization.

This year, the Report has been structured in a way that is more aligned with Biocat’s 2024–2027 Strategic Plan in order to more clearly show the connection between the activities carried out and the major challenges that guide the organization’s actions. Let’s look at the main priorities and activities that shaped 2025, which you will find more information on in the 2025 Biocat Report of Activities.

Acceleration, training, transfer and access to the healthcare system for innovation

In this area, one of the main initiatives was the Healthcare System Access Program (PASS), promoted by the Catalan Ministry of Health and Biocat with the participation of AQuAS, CatSalut and TIC Salut i Social Foundation. Over the course of the year, the pilot phase of the program was completed, which allowed the support model to be validated and adjusted to the needs of innovative organizations. The first results of this program were shared at PASS Day, along with the priority needs identified by the Catalan healthcare system. The action culminated with the launch of the first INNOPASS call, in which 10 initiatives were selected from a total of 61 applicants.

At the same time, Biocat continued to promote programs aimed at acceleration, training and knowledge transfer. The eighth edition of CRAASH Barcelona was held with eight innovative teams selected, two more than the previous year, and a new collaboration with the i4Kids network. Additionally, d·HEALTH Barcelona reached its tenth edition, consolidating its role as a flagship program for training entrepreneurial talent in health innovation. 

The fourth Tech Transfer Day was also held, bringing together more than 120 professionals from research centers, universities, hospitals, healthcare research institutes, companies and investors to reflect on the challenges of technology transfer and the need to better measure its impact. In the investment sphere, Biocat launched the Health Investment Portal, a new matchmaking tool to connect startups and innovative projects with investors, scouts and corporations. 

Strategic push for advanced therapies in Catalonia

Advanced therapies continued to have a central place in Biocat’s activities in 2025. Consolidating ATMP Catalonia helped strengthen the structure uniting Catalonia’s scientific, clinical, technological, industrial and investment capacities in this arena. One of the year’s main highlights was the launch of ATMP Catalyst, an accelerator specializing in advanced therapy projects and startups, designed to facilitate the transition from basic research to preclinical and clinical validation. This push was also apparent with the first ATMP Day, which brought together more than 200 professionals from Spain and abroad.

The European dimension of this strategy was strengthened by PRECISEU, the project coordinated by Biocat in personalized medicine, health data and advanced therapies. In 2025, it launched an international hackathon, two personalized medicine schools, a call for best practices and several reports and mappings of European capacities, among other initiatives. Barcelona also hosted Advanced Therapies Europe for the first time, which is one of the leading European gatherings in cell and gene therapies. The organization complemented these activities with missions and institutional actions in Brussels and Sweden, and by taking part in European debates on personalized medicine and advanced therapies.

The BioRegion’s international projection and influence

2025 was also a particularly intense year for the international projection of the BioRegion of Catalonia. One of the highlights was the presentation of the tenth edition of the BioRegion of Catalonia Report, a milestone in the history of this study that was launched by Biocat in 2009. 

The presentation of the Report was held as part of the third edition of Barcelona Health Innovation Week, which saw record turnout: 55 activities hosted by 52 organizations and more than 3,250 professionals participating between February 17 and 21.

The ability to attract major international events was once again made clear with BIOSPAIN 2025, RESI Europe and Health Tech Forward. Meanwhile, Catalonia strengthened the visibility of the entrepreneurial ecosystem with a new edition of the Catalonia Health Innovation Ecosystem Pavilion at 4YFN. The final piece in the BioRegion’s international projection efforts last year was its prominent presence at benchmark international events like the BIO International Convention 2025, held in Boston.

New European projects in talent and biomanufacturing

Biocat’s European participation continued to expand in 2025 with the launch of two new projects focused on strategic areas for the future of the BioRegion: BREATH (Building R&I Talent Ecosystems to Advance Careers in Health Innovation) will work to improve management and development of health research talent in Catalonia, Flanders and Lithuania. And BRIDGE (Biomanufacturing Regions for Integrated Development and Growth in the Ecosystems) seeks to strengthen regional biomanufacturing ecosystems in Catalonia, Campania and Silesia by mapping capabilities, cooperating among regions and creating strategic roadmaps. In both cases, Biocat leads work packages related to structuring regional ecosystems.

Projecting the BioRegion through data, communication and new channels

Boosting the visibility of the BioRegion of Catalonia and providing valuable information to industry professionals remains one of Biocat’s lines of work. The corporate website recorded a monthly average of more than 26,300 visits and 4,600 users in 2025, while the 2024 BioRegion of Catalonia Report got 32,310 views and 1,509 downloads.

Electronic communications surpassed 12,300 subscribers and digital channels had a combined 55,260 followers. LinkedIn consolidated its place as the primary channel, with 42,889 followers, and Biocat opened a new profile on Bluesky. Regarding media coverage, Biocat issued 11 press releases and got 702 media mentions in print, digital, radio and television media.

Generating and updating data on the sector is another area that continued to be strengthened. The Catalan Life Sciences directory had 2,600 companies and organizations, with more than 150 new entries and over 200 profiles updated during the year.

Together, these actions helped continue raising awareness of the ecosystem’s progress, generating knowledge about its capabilities and strengthening Catalonia’s projection as one of Europe’s leading hubs in life sciences and health innovation.