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Institutional news

IBEC and the Lluís Vives Institute in Barcelona join forces to incorporate scientific research into the school 

As part of the Magnet programme. The Partnerships for Educational Success initiative, a collaboration between the Bioengineering Institute of Catalonia (IBEC) and a secondary school in Sants, promotes the integration of research into students’ skills-based learning. With the support of IBEC researchers and training for the teaching staff, students work on real scientific projects on health, the human body, cell biology, and the environment, among other topics.

Three IBEC projects receive ERC Proof of Concept funding to drive innovation in health, neuroscience, and biomedical technology 

Dr Benedetta Bolognesi, Dr Irene Marco-Rius and Dr Nicolò Accanto, who are all principal investigators at IBEC, have each been awarded a prestigious ERC Proof of Concept grant. These grants are awarded by the European Research Council to support the exploration of the commercial and societal potential of research projects conducted within European institutions. The three winning projects range from new platforms for discovering antiamyloid drugs, to advanced metabolic analysis technologies, to optical tools for studying the brains of animals moving naturally.

IBEC secures competitive funding to drive forward validation testing for three innovative health projects

IBEC has been awarded three grants in response to the call for proposals from the Strategic Plan for Health Research and Innovation (PERIS). These projects aim to validate hyperspectral technology for improving assisted reproduction, using bioprinted cell spheroids to combat type 1 diabetes and developing light-activated drugs to restore vision in patients with retinal degeneration.

Josep Samitier concludes thirteen years at the helm of IBEC

Josep Samitier will step down as Director of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) on 31 December 2025. Under his leadership since 2013, IBEC has become a leading institution in Spain for research excellence in bioengineering. Manuel Salmeron, an ICREA Research Professor at IBEC, will take over as interim director at the request of the Institute’s board of trustees.

IBEC receives an Ayuda Singular Institucional grant to create new spaces dedicated to bioengineering research for sustainability

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) will promote the ‘Creation of new IBEC spaces for the Bioengineering for Sustainability Research Programme’ (BESOS-IBEC) project thanks to a Singular Institutional Grant. This grant is promoted by the Department of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

IBEC strengthens its international leadership with the HE-mPOwer project

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has received funding through the Spanish State Research Agency’s 2025 call for proposals for the preparation and management of European projects and attraction of international talent. This funding will allow IBEC to launch the HE-mPOwer project, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the institute’s internationalisation and increase its competitiveness within the Horizon Europe programme.

Zaida Álvarez awarded a prestigious European ERC Consolidator Grant

The researcher at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia has been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant. This prestigious European funding supports excellent scientists and scholars who are consolidating their independent research teams to pursue their most promising scientific ideas. The €2.8 million SPINECRAFT grant, awarded for five years, will enable Álvarez and her team to build a high-fidelity, 4D human spinal cord model using advanced bioprinting and patient-derived cells. This platform aims to transform the study of spinal cord biology, neurodegenerative disorders, and regenerative therapies, setting the stage for breakthroughs previously out of reach.

Berlin Hosts the Mid-Term Meeting and First Workshop of the SPM4.0 Network coordinated by IBEC

The SPM4.0 consortium convened at Charité–Berlin for its first training workshop and mid-term meeting, reinforcing scientific collaboration and supporting the development of the project’s doctoral researchers. The sessions offered a comprehensive overview of ongoing scientific progress and future training activities. This milestone moment further strengthened coordination across the network and set the pace for upcoming project objectives.