InnovationResearch
Picks of September: More Investment, New Infrastructure and Strategic Alliances
The BioRegion of Catalonia closes September with new financing deals, advances in technology transfer and significant momentum in scientific and healthcare infrastructure. The month also brought alliances that strengthen collaboration across the ecosystem, new technological capabilities for biomedical research and major corporate developments.
- In terms of investment, RemAb Therapeutics, an spinoff of IDIBELL, has secured €8 million in European funding to advance an international phase II clinical trial of RA0127, a therapy aimed at preventing severe infections in patients admitted to intensive care units. Meanwhile, Connecta Therapeutics has closed a €3.1 million funding round, led by Clave Capital with participation from Inveready, DCTI Innvierte and Prous Institute for Biomedical Research. The funds will be used to advance the phase IIa clinical trial of CTH120, its candidate for treating Fragile X syndrome in adult men.
- In the startup sector, Durcal has begun its international expansion with the acquisition of an Italian technology engineering company, a move that paves the way for the launch of its telecare system, based on a smartwatch and digital platform, in the Italian market. Catalan biotech Lumiris, founded in 2023 and having raised €8 million since its creation, is moving forward with a new funding round to bring Metaphor to market, a platform capable of non-invasively analysing the metabolic quality of oocytes and improving the selection of those with the greatest potential to achieve pregnancy.
- Technology transfer has also given rise to a new company. UAB and the Computer Vision Center have established BrainMapp Software Solutions, a spinoff that has developed a digital platform to help neurosurgery teams identify the areas of the brain that need to be preserved during tumour removal.
- Research has also generated another European-scale initiative. Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital is leading a consortium that will develop an immunotherapy strategy over the next five years against diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, one of the most aggressive childhood brain tumours and one for which there is currently no curative treatment. The project aims to open up new therapeutic options for a disease with around 300 new diagnoses each year in Europe and a five-year survival rate of less than 1%.
- September has been particularly significant for new scientific and healthcare infrastructure. The future Clínic-UB Health Campus has moved forward with approval of the preliminary Urban Development Master Plan and confirmation that the new Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences will be located in Esplugues de Llobregat. At the Bellaterra campus, UAB and the Government of Catalonia have launched the new Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (CENIT-UAB), which is expected to receive a total investment of €44.6 million and will cover 17,809 m², bringing together research in neuroscience, psychology, engineering, materials, data and artificial intelligence.
- The scientific and technical capabilities of the centres have also been strengthened. Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, Hospital Clínic Barcelona and Hospital del Mar have launched a joint 3D printing project for healthcare, with more than 1,000 m² at the 3D Incubator where technical and clinical teams can develop solutions for real healthcare needs. Meanwhile, CNAG has incorporated the first 3D spatial transcriptomics platform in Spain, which makes it possible to study gene activity while preserving the three-dimensional organisation of tissues and is already being used in an initial colorectal cancer project.
- Regarding new strategic initiatives, six institutions have created the Comprehensive Oncology Consortium of Northern Catalonia, an alliance between ICO, Germans Trias i Pujol and Josep Trueta hospitals, IGTP, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute and IDIBGI. The consortium will serve nearly two million people in the Metropolitana Nord and Girona health regions and aims to obtain European certification as a Comprehensive Cancer Consortium. In parallel, the Government of Catalonia plans to launch a Mental Health Observatory in December that will update around 50 indicators annually and combine clinical, service and socioeconomic data to assess trends in the population’s emotional wellbeing. The University of Barcelona (UB) will become the first Catalan university to open a campus in China, where it will offer three technology-focused master’s degrees.
- Among major companies, Puig has agreed to acquire from Esteve the remaining 50% of Isdin that it did not yet own for €1.2 billion. Grifols has acquired the remaining 49.9% of Canadian Plasma Resources, taking full ownership and executive control of the company’s 17 facilities in Canada. In terms of internationalisation, Laboratorios Viñas has expanded its European presence through new distribution agreements in France, Italy and Turkey for its treatment for molluscum contagiosum.
- September also positioned Barcelona as a meeting point for the ecosystem, with the Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 and ATMP Day 2026, which, in addition to bringing together experts, featured the presentation of the teams taking part in the second edition of the ATMP Catalyst programme.
- The month also brought awards and institutional appointments. Physicist Caterina Biscari, until now director of the ALBA Synchrotron, received the Gold Medal of the Government of Catalonia, the Government’s highest distinction, in recognition of a career that has strengthened the international profile of research conducted in Catalonia and helped increase the visibility of women in scientific decision-making. Meanwhile, Catalonia.health has appointed Laura Iglesias as its new Director General, with the aim of strengthening the association’s growth, business connections and the national and international profile of its members.