The BioRegion of Catalonia strengthens its European positioning in advanced therapies at ATE 2026

For three days, Barcelona became a meeting point for Europe’s advanced therapies ecosystem with Advanced Therapies Europe 2026, organized by Phacilitate. The event brought together more than 550 representatives from biotech and pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research centers, investment firms, regulatory bodies, and specialized service providers from countries around the world.

Biocat played a prominent role in the event, contributing to strategic discussions on Europe’s competitiveness in cell and gene therapies, the challenges of translating scientific advances into treatments for patients, and the conditions needed to consolidate an ecosystem capable of scaling up and industrializing these solutions.

ATE 2026 in Barcelona also provided an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the BioRegion of Catalonia internationally. The BioRegion was represented throughout the program by professionals from companies, hospitals, research centers, universities, and investment funds. Over the three-day event, members of the Catalan ecosystem took part in sessions on financing, regulation, clinical trials, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, public-private collaboration, and patient access to treatments.

Europe faces the challenge of moving from ambition to execution

Montse Daban, Director of Strategy and Global Alliances at Biocat, participated in two of the program’s central discussions. On the first day, she took part in the Women in Advanced Therapies panel, “We’ve heard the challenges. Now, what are we changing?”, alongside Ingrid Marchal-Gérez of Johnson & Johnson, Lynette James of Quell Therapeutics, and Vasiliki E. Kalodimou of European University Cyprus.

The discussion explored the progress made in advanced therapies, the difference between representation and real influence, and the importance of the people and opportunities that can transform a professional career. The panelists also emphasized the responsibility of organizations to create more inclusive environments in which diverse voices can actively participate in decision-making.

Looking ahead, the session considered what kind of industry the next generation of leaders should inherit and which concrete changes should be demonstrable a year from now. Moving from awareness to action will be essential to strengthening both leadership and the innovative capacity of the advanced therapies ecosystem.

Daban also moderated the high-level panel Europe’s Roadmap: Winning the Next Wave of ATMP R&D, featuring Bo Wiinberg of Novo Nordisk Foundation Cellerator; Jacqueline Barry of Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult; Jim Lund of CCRM Nordic; Miguel Forte of Kiji Therapeutics; and Paolo Morgese of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.

The discussion moved beyond diagnosing Europe’s challenges to focus on the actions needed to compete in terms of speed, scalability, and return on investment: implementing more effective funding mechanisms, accelerating clinical development, strengthening collaboration and specialization across ecosystems, consolidating competitive manufacturing capabilities, and ensuring more predictable market access. The shared goal is to turn Europe’s scientific excellence into advanced therapies that reach patients faster.

Robert Fabregat, CEO of Biocat, moderated the session Modalities and Markets at the Crossroads – Where Advanced Therapies Go Next and How Europe Chooses to Compete, which explored the evolution of different therapeutic modalities, the trends shaping the market, and the decisions Europe will need to make to turn its scientific excellence into clinical and industrial leadership.

Broad representation from the BioRegion

The BioRegion of Catalonia was represented across a significant portion of the program. In the investment field, representatives from Invivo Partners, Ysios Capital, and Montana participated in sessions on financing, differentiation, and preparing companies to raise capital.

Among the ecosystem’s companies, Integra Therapeutics took part in discussions on investment, scaling, and the application of artificial intelligence to cell and gene therapy development. OneChain Immunotherapeutics presented advances in its new lentiviral vector for developing in vivo CAR-T therapies and discussed the clinical potential of these approaches. Gyala Therapeutics also contributed to the discussion on raising capital, particularly during the early stages of a project.

Clinical and academic representation was also particularly significant. Professionals from Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital, Banc de Sang i Teixits, and Pompeu Fabra University shared their expertise in regulation, clinical trials, therapy design, public-private collaboration models, and patient access.

Throughout the event, Biocat was also present at the ATMP Catalonia booth, where it introduced the initiative to the international community attending the conference and showcased Catalonia’s scientific, clinical, industrial, and innovation capabilities in advanced therapies.

From scientific excellence to patient impact

Discussions at ATE 2026 converged on a shared assessment: Europe has a strong scientific and clinical foundation but must still overcome regulatory, financial, manufacturing, and access barriers to turn these capabilities into treatments that reach patients sustainably.

For Catalonia, the challenge is not only to continue driving innovation but also to better connect and coordinate existing capabilities, facilitate project scaling, and strengthen collaboration among research centers, hospitals, companies, investors, and public authorities. The goal is to consolidate a value chain capable of supporting advanced therapies from research through manufacturing and adoption by the healthcare system.

Barcelona’s advanced therapies week continued on September 10 with ATMP Day, the annual gathering of the ATMP Catalonia network, an initiative led by Biocat to strengthen coordination and connections among stakeholders working in this field across the BioRegion of Catalonia.