The FBG presents its activity report and reaffirms its role as a driving force for knowledge transfer and innovation at the UB.
The Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG), the knowledge transfer office of the University of Barcelona (UB), presents its activity report for 2024, showcasing results that reinforce its strategic role in knowledge transfer, research project management and innovation support at the University of Barcelona (UB). The document reflects institutional strengthening, increased economic and technological impact, and the consolidation of ties between the university, business and society.
Among the most notable indicators of the year, the FBG processed a total of €38.22 million in project contracting for the UB. At the same time, it managed 1,763 active research projects, and 771 people were hired for research projects. In addition, a total of 677 companies and institutions from 36 different countries contracted research services from the University.
There are also 140 patents available for transfer, 165 patent applications were received, 10 technologies were licensed and €521,000 in licensing revenue was generated. During 2024, a total of 24 entrepreneurial projects were advised and the spin-off ElectrAqua Tech was created.
Over the past year, the 23 active UB spin-offs — companies that emerged from technology or knowledge developed at the university — secured around €14 million in funding. This figure represents a remarkable increase compared to previous years and highlights the ability of these companies to attract investment.
The university’s spin-off companies also generated a total turnover of €10.2 million and created 227 jobs, contributing to economic dynamism and employment in the region.
Divestment in the spin-off Enantia
One of the most notable events of 2024 was the first divestment of a spin-off by the University of Barcelona, taking advantage of the acquisition of Enantia by the Inveready fund. This operation marks a step forward in the UB’s strategy to promote technology transfer and ensure returns on investments made in innovative projects.
Relocation to the Juliana Morell Building
This year saw the consolidation of the restructuring process initiated in 2023, aimed at achieving greater efficiency in the services offered to the university community and in their outreach to society. In this context, the relocation of the FBG to the Juliana Morell building stands out as a symbolic and strategic step within the broader reorganisation of research structures and the rollout of the EASI (Research Support and Guidance Space) project.
Accreditation as a Knowledge Transfer Office (OTC)
In 2024, the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation was officially accredited by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities as a Knowledge Transfer Office (OTC). With this accreditation, the FBG leaves behind its former status as a Research Results Transfer Office (OTRI) and joins the new official national registry, which recognises the institution’s capabilities in transfer, innovation and valorisation. This accreditation opens up new opportunities to access public calls for transfer funding.
Awards and Grants
As every year, the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation contributed to knowledge transfer through the presentation of various awards. The Antoni Caparrós Prize for the best knowledge transfer project was awarded to Dr M. Carmen Vidal Carou, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, for the project “New legume sprout-based ingredient for dietary management of histamine intolerance,” and to Dr Isidora Valentina Sáez, from the Faculty of Education, for the project “Learning about the 19th century by studying the history of a guitar: linking researched history with taught history.”
Reveal Genomics, a spin-off of the University of Barcelona, the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), was recognised with the Senén Vilaró Prize for Best Innovative Company.
Meanwhile, the FBG awarded €100,000 to four projects as part of the ninth edition of the Innovation Promotion Fund (F2I). The following projects were selected:
-
“Demonstrator of a perovskite-based LED matrix manufactured using inkjet technology (MAT-LED),” by Dr Sergi Hernández Márquez, Faculty of Physics.
-
“Groundbreaking nanotechnological strategy against glaucoma: highly efficient nanoparticles dispersed in thermosensitive gels,” by Dr Elena Sánchez López, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences.
-
“Small RNA biomarkers validation for Huntington’s Disease,” by Dr Eulàlia Martí Puig and Ana Gámez Valero, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
-
“Pararhizobium-based plant biostimulant improving abiotic stress tolerance in crops,” by Dr Rubén Alcázar Hernández, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences.
This report reflects the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that the knowledge generated at the UB has a real impact on society — an objective that remains central to its mission after more than four decades of activity.