Biocat positions the BioRegion of Catalonia at the heart of the international debate at Advanced Therapies Week 2026
The organisation took part, from 9 to 12 February, in one of the leading global forums on advanced therapies, at a key moment when Catalonia is beginning to showcase ATMP Catalonia under a new identity, with its sights set on Advanced Therapies Europe 2026, which will be held in Barcelona this September.
Biocat has strengthened the presence of the BioRegion of Catalonia in the international debate on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) with a prominent participation at Advanced Therapies Week 2026, held from February 9 to 12 in San Diego. The organization took part in three strategic sessions on translation, clinical readiness and risk management, in a context of significant opportunity for the country: Catalonia has recently begun to showcase the ATMP Catalonia project with the launch of a new visual identity and the debut of a new strategic website, an initiative coordinated by Biocat to position the region as a key player in health research and innovation at European and international level.
Robert Fabregat, CEO of Biocat, moderated the Fireside Chat “Building translational infrastructure within emerging biotechs”, focused on how emerging biotech companies can build translational infrastructure and partnerships to advance more solidly toward clinical development.
For her part, Montse Daban, Director of Strategic Analysis and International Relations at Biocat, took part as a speaker in the roundtable “What does a ‘Trial Ready’ Therapeutic look like in 2026?”, a debate aimed at defining which data thresholds and quality controls are required, how the programme aligns with regulation and manufacturing, and which criteria make an advanced therapy asset investable, among other aspects. Daban also moderated the Fireside Chat “Clinical data thresholds, funding strategies and risk management”, which focused on the importance of a top-down strategy, starting by clearly defining the product and its critical path to the clinic, aligning regulation, CMC, analytical development and translation, and ensuring that clinical excellence guides all decisions.
With the aim of learning about models of excellence and strengthening the capacity of the Catalan and European ecosystem to accelerate the arrival of new therapies to patients, Biocat representatives visited the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where they met with Jerry Joyce, President of the centre. They also met with industry representatives and global partners, such as Michael Israels, CFO of CCRM Ontario, with whom they continued to define the collaboration strategy between the two organisations. The Biocat representatives also took the opportunity to meet with Catalan research staff working at centres and companies in California, in line with the strategy to strengthen ties with the research community abroad.
ATMP calendar in Catalonia: three key events to consolidate the sector’s momentum
This participation in Advanced Therapies Week has helped lay the groundwork for the next edition of Advanced Therapies Europe 2026, which will be held in Barcelona next September. Before that, however, other meetings will be organised to address the major challenges in the field of advanced therapies: biomanufacturing, the translation from preclinical to clinical stages, and alignment between research, hospitals and industry. These are outlined below:
18 February - ATMP Catalonia Series #1: Challenges in Biomanufacturing
Biocat will kick off the ATMP Catalonia Series with a first session that will include the presentation of the ATMP Catalonia brand and website, along with two roundtables on biomanufacturing, within the framework of Barcelona Health Innovation Week.
19 February – BioRegió de Catalunya 2025 Report: Keynote: Michael May, CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM)
During the presentation event of the BioRegió de Catalunya 2025 Report, Michael May, CEO of CCRM, will offer a strategic vision on the scaling up of advanced therapies, from development to manufacturing, based on the international experience of a leading centre in the commercialization of cell and gene therapies.
25 March - ATMP Catalonia Series #2: From Preclinical Discovery to First-in-Human Trials
The second session of the ATMP Catalonia Series, organised by VHIR/VHIO, will delve into the main scientific, regulatory, ethical and clinical challenges in the development of ATMPs, from the preclinical phase to first-in-human trials, through keynote speeches and roundtables that bring together academic, hospital and industry perspectives.
21–22 April — MEDICALFORUM
Barcelona will host a new edition of MEDICALFORUM, organised by KonexioBiotech, featuring two morning sessions focused on advanced therapies.
More information coming soon.