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Investment in science drives societal progress. B
arcelona has been doing its part for more than two decades and is now demonstrating its commitment with the construction of the CaixaResearch Institute – a center that aspires to become a benchmark in immunological diseases. T E X T B Y PAU L A P É R E Z G ON Z ÁL E Z -ANG U I ANO I L L U S TR A TI ON S B Y T AC A RQU I TE C TE S B Dr. Àngel Font, Executive Director, CaixaResearch Institute 48 | NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG ARCELONA HAS BECOME one of the most significant biomedical hubs in Europe and internationally, on a par with regions such as London, Cambridge, Munich, northern Italy, and Switzerland. This leading position has been achieved thanks to sustained efforts from the scientific community, the healthcare sector, and public sector administrations. The concentration of top-level hospitals and research centers – such as Vall d’Hebron, Hospital Clínic, Bellvitge, and Sant Joan de Déu – has also been key in making the city a reference in the biomedical sector. Barcelona also has one of the highest number of clinical trials amongst European cites, and this is something that must continue to be consolidated. Pharmaceutical companies trust the city because of its solid healthcare system and its ability to recruit the necessary patients to test the latest advances in medicines. Currently, healthrelated start-ups are mainly supported by large pharmaceutical companies or international funds, as local capital remains limited. “Barcelona needs to invest more in research talent, improve salaries and resources, foster public-private collaboration, attract and retain international talent, and streamline bureaucracy without compromising scientific safety,” says Mercè Conesa, CEO of Barcelona Global. In the coming years, though, the city will see an expansion in science parks, hospitals, biopharmaceutical companies, and research institutes such as the CaixaResearch Institute – a center driven by ‘la Caixa’ Foundation. This will be the first institute in Spain dedicated to immunology and one of the few in Europe with this specialization. “We are attracting talent, mostly international. All the researchers are greatly enthusiastic, as are we. We want this project to be a lever for Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain to gain visibility and appeal. And that is exciting,” says Dr. Àngel Font, Executive Director of the CaixaResearch Institute. A clear translational vocation ‘La Caixa’ Foundation is a Spanish philanthropic entity founded in the early 20th century to support the working class. For more than a hundred years, it has promoted health initiatives, starting with a maternity and child institute and measures to combat tuberculosis – a disease that severely affected the working classes at the time. In 1932, it created the Antituberculosis Institute. Since the 1990s, ‘la Caixa’ Foundation has promoted centers such as IrsiCaixa, dedicated to AIDS research, and ISGlobal, focused on global health and development. It has also supported other centers such as VHIO in the field of oncology, the Barcelonaβeta Brain EUROPE // SPAIN PHOTO FOTOWARE