New laboratories, hospitals and science campuses mark new era for BioRegion of Catalonia
Twenty years after its creation, the BioRegion of Catalonia is entering a new phase of expanding science, technology, healthcare and business facilities. A couple of years ago, also in this section of the Biocat website, we looked at some of the new spaces created to address a growing need in the sector for suitable laboratories, production plants, research facilities and work environments that would allow companies to grow and scale up, after two decades of increasing numbers of companies, centers, hospitals, investments and scientific capabilities.
In the coming years, Catalonia will get new spaces with laboratories for companies, research centers, hospital expansions and large health campuses. The map drawn through 2035 shows an ecosystem that is not only growing in size but also in specialization, complexity and capacity for impact.
2026-2027: new laboratories, business spaces and patient care capacity
The 2026–2027 period marks the visible start of this wave of new facilities, with projects already operational or expected to become operational in the near future. So far this year, two major facilities have been launched in the Barcelona metropolitan area: on one hand, the CaixaResearch Institute, which with 20,000 m² represents one of the most significant commitments to biomedical research in recent years, particularly in immunology and other strategic areas; and, on the other hand, the new Espai SEM Granvia in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, with 22,500 m².
One of the openings expected in the short term is Net-Pharma Hub in Sant Quirze del Vallès, which will provide companies with 7,600 m² of offices and laboratories with specialized technical capabilities. By the end of the year, the Únicas SJD Center for Precision Medicine is also scheduled to begin operating near Sant Joan de Déu Hospital. With nearly 13,900 m², this specialized center aims to strengthen care, research and innovation in minority diseases.
New spaces specifically geared towards businesses and hospital activities will also open next year. On one hand, the expansion of SID/Barcelona in Esplugues de Llobregat stands out, with plans to make roughly 10,000 m² of additional laboratories and scientific spaces available for companies and research centers. Not far away, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Greenvia Labs will also provide new laboratory spaces. The 6,500 m² project led by the founders of Cosymbio is in the detailed design phase, with the goal of beginning activity in the first quarter of next year.
In the private healthcare sector, there are also projects on the horizon for 2027. In Barcelona, the new Hospital Marina on Carrer de Sancho d’Àvila expects to add 17,800 m² and, in Sant Cugat del Vallès, HM Hospitales will create a new 7,000 m² hospital.
2028-2029: concentration of new science hubs, more laboratories for companies and specialized research
The 22@ district in Barcelona will be home to a significant portion of the new projects geared towards offices and laboratories for companies. One of the furthest along is 22Palms, located on Carrer del Perú, with a total area of about 9,500 m², which is expected to start operations in 2028. Also in 22@ and promoted by the same company, Bac de Roda, with roughly 18,000 m², is in the definition and repositioning phase to be used for the life sciences, healthcare and research. It is also expected to be operational by 2028, bolstering the district’s role as one of the urban environments with the most potential to host business and science activity related to healthcare.
In this line of new spaces with laboratories for companies, Barcelona Science Park will add nearly 2,700–2,800 m² to its facilities by adapting the CUB Building (January 2028). Also in the PCB-UB environment, the future MIES-UB Building will strengthen research and innovation capacity with approximately 10,000 m² planned for 2029.
One of the biggest science projects under construction is the Ciutadella Knowledge Hub – Mercat del Peix, with 45,400 m², which is also expected to be operational by 2028. This new research hub aims to transform the Ciutadella area into an international benchmark in biomedicine, biodiversity and planetary sciences, with a clearly multidisciplinary focus. Its size and location make it one of Barcelona’s main commitments to strengthening the connections among academia, research and the city.
Also in the research arena, the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute ExplorER building, with approximately 4,000 m², will open its doors in 2028 to boost research and innovation in the field of minority diseases. Meanwhile, at Vall d’Hebron Hospital, a new VHIO building will add approximately 11,200 m² for oncology research activities from 2029. In Barcelona, the Barcelona Center for Applied Neurosciences at the UB Mundet Campus is scheduled to open in 2029. With about 700 m², the center aims to drive applied neurosciences and connect research with areas such as mental health, cognition, ageing and technologies applied to the brain.
In the field of animal health and biosecurity, the new IRTA-CReSA Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory on the UAB campus will strengthen Catalonia’s capacity for high containment biological research. With approximately 3,000 m², it is expected to be finished in 2028 or 2029. The expansion of HM Sant Jordi is also on the horizon for 2029, with 16,000 m² to bolster private hospital capacity in the city.
2030 and beyond: the major campuses that will shape the next decade
From 2030, the BioRegion’s map of facilities will take a leap in scale. It’s no longer just about new buildings, laboratories or isolated expansions, but about large campuses and urban health projects that can transform the territorial organization of the ecosystem over the next decade.
The Clinic-UB Health Campus, with 300,000 m² planned along Avinguda Diagonal, is one of the projects with the greatest potential for long term transformation. Expected for 2035, the future campus will help re-envision the clinical, science, teaching and innovation activities associated with the Hospital Clinic and the University of Barcelona. Similarly, the New Hospital del Mar, with a planned area of 100,000 m² and expected for 2030, will modernize and expand one of Barcelona’s benchmark university hospitals, reinforcing the connections among care, research and clinical innovation.
In Girona, the future Girona Health Region Campus, with 320,000 m², outlines another of the major territorial projects for the next decade. By 2031, the campus aims to integrate clinical care, teaching, research and innovation, and to strengthen Girona’s role in the Catalan health sector.
Beyond the facilities already under construction, the BioRegion has large scale projects planned that can transform the ecosystem over the next decade. The Health BioCluster in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat is one of the most ambitious in terms of size, with over 550,000 m² planned. This initiative aims to create a major health innovation hub around Bellvitge University Hospital, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, IDIBELL and other local assets.
