MWC 2025, the leading international event in technology and connectivity, took place in Barcelona this week. The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia was present, showcasing some of its spin-offs and participating in conferences and panels on digital health and technology transfer.
The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) had a prominent presence at MWC 2025, the leading international technology and connectivity event held in Barcelona from 3 to 6 March. Contributing its expertise in biomedical technology and knowledge transfer, IBEC actively participated in conferences, panels and the startup accelerator programme, consolidating its role at the intersection of health and emerging technologies.
Keynote speeches with IBEC participation
IBEC Director Josep Samitier was one of the speakers in the Talent Arena, a MWC co-located event dedicated to digital talent. He participated in the session ‘Coding for Care: AI-driven software development in digital health’, where industry experts explored the impact of artificial intelligence on healthcare innovation and process optimisation.
Also in the Talent Arena, Teresa Sanchis, IBEC’s Head of Strategy, spoke on the panel ‘DATOS-CAT: From clinical data to interoperable and usable knowledge’, which focused on IBEC’s role in promoting the DATOS-CAT project, a key initiative for the integration and standardisation of biomedical data in Catalonia, as part of the Complementary Plan for Applied Biotechnology in Health coordinated by IBEC.
Meanwhile, Asli Raman, IBEC’s Project Manager in the Technology Transfer and Business Development team, took part in the session ‘Corporate Innovators Programme: Business Prototyping: Test, Learn and Succeed’ at 4YFN, MWC’s startup event. In this panel, she discussed how rapid prototyping accelerates business development and reduces risk in the creation of new technology solutions.
From research to application: mHealthySleep and Nanobots Therapeutics
IBEC was also present at 4YFN with innovative projects that highlight its leadership in technology transfer. One of these is mHealthySleep, a mobile health (mHealth) system for the detection and personalised management of sleep disorders, developed by IBEC’s Biomedical signal processing and interpretation group led by Raimon Jané. Together with IBEC postdoctoral researcher Yolanda Castillo, Jané presented the project at the stand of ‘The Collider’, the technology transfer programme of the Mobile World Capital Barcelona. By participating in the programme, the researchers aim to develop a spin-off company that will bring the mHealthySleep technology to market.
In addition, Castillo presented the project in a 3-minute pitch at the Collider Innovation Showcase, highlighting its commercial potential.
Meanwhile, the IBEC and ICREA spin-off Nanobots Therapeutics, founded by Samuel Sánchez, took part in 4YFN as an exhibitor in Banco Sabadell’s BStartup space. There they had the opportunity to present their innovative MotionTx platform, whose potential lies in the ability of nanorobots to penetrate tissue and deliver drugs directly to cancer cells. The first application focuses on the treatment of bladder cancer, with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of current treatments.
IBEC’s participation in MWC 2025 reaffirms its commitment to applied research and technology transfer in the field of bioengineering. Through its presence at conferences, roundtables and start-up accelerator programmes, the Institute continues to drive the development of innovative solutions to improve the health and well-being of society.
