Barcelona Knowledge Alliance Showcases the Leadership of Public Universities in Innovation and Global Impact at 4YFN
From 2 to 5 March, the Barcelona Knowledge Alliance (BKA), comprising the University of Barcelona (UB), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), will participate in 4 Years From Now (4YFN) 2026, the leading start-up event held within the framework of the Mobile World Congress (MWC). The aim is to project internationally the innovative and entrepreneurial potential of the public university system.
The scale of this ecosystem is tangible: the four universities together account for more than 90 equity-backed spin-offs, employing nearly 600 highly qualified professionals. Over the past five years, these companies have secured almost €200 million in funding and generated €140 million in revenue. These figures demonstrate the public university system’s ability to transform scientific knowledge into economic activity, skilled employment and innovation with global reach.
Within the framework of 4YFN, BKA sponsors the Universities & Spin-Offs track under the slogan “Deep tech’s limitless potential: from campus labs to market-shaking innovation”. This space is dedicated to innovation emerging from university campuses and its potential to transform society through technology, scientific knowledge and entrepreneurship. The alliance promotes research excellence, effective knowledge transfer and strong connections with the business and institutional ecosystem, with the goal of consolidating Barcelona as a global benchmark in science, talent and technological entrepreneurship.
A united voice to amplify impact
BKA’s presence at 4YFN symbolises the four universities’ commitment to coordinating efforts in order to increase global visibility and create new partnership opportunities with start-ups, investors and key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem.
The Rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia, underlines the strategic importance of the event: “4YFN is a unique opportunity to showcase to the world the innovative potential of the university community and to highlight the societal impact of research. Participating in a leading international forum such as 4YFN enables us to connect talent, knowledge and professional sectors, which is one of the core missions of the public university.”
This strategic approach reflects the public university system’s capacity to act as a driver of innovation and economic transformation in Barcelona and internationally.
Synergies connecting talent and innovation
Collaboration among Barcelona’s four public universities makes it possible to optimise resources, share knowledge and develop large-scale projects. The Rector of the UAB, Javier Lafuente, states: “Working together allows us to attract strategic projects, strengthen Barcelona’s competitiveness as an international innovation hub and build partnerships with start-ups, investors and institutions, creating opportunities that benefit the entire research and entrepreneurship ecosystem.”
This collaborative model is key to enhancing knowledge transfer, fostering interdisciplinary cooperation and multiplying the impact of each university initiative.
Commitment to economic and social development
The four universities work to ensure that academic research provides concrete solutions to global challenges and develop projects with tangible returns for society. The Rector of the UPF, Laia de Nadal, explains: “Our objective goes beyond generating knowledge: we work to ensure that research has a real impact and contributes to sustainable economic development. Barcelona is thus consolidating its position as an ecosystem where talent and applied innovation generate value.”
Public universities as drivers of change
BKA demonstrates that public universities transform research into scalable and innovative projects, addressing global challenges in sectors such as health, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, smart mobility, advanced engineering and sustainability.
The Rector of the UPC, Francesc Torres, emphasises: “Public universities are essential to converting research excellence into innovative technologies and companies, creating talent, skilled employment and directly contributing to economic and social progress.”
This approach enables academic talent to move towards entrepreneurship, generating a virtuous circle that transforms knowledge into applied innovation, skilled employment and economic and social value creation.
A programme connecting research and the socio-economic fabric
During 4YFN, BKA will take part in round tables, pitching sessions and networking activities with investors and ecosystem professionals to connect talent, research and market opportunities.
On 3 March 2026, from 13:15 to 13:45, the Agora Stage will host the talk “Barcelona’s university ecosystem: where academic excellence meets startup ambition”, featuring the four BKA rectors and moderated by journalist Aurora Masip. The session will analyse the importance of institutional cooperation, the role of universities in fostering entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary talent, the transfer of research to start-ups and deep tech ventures, and the opportunities for international scaling when the university system acts in a coordinated manner.
Date: 3 March | 13:15 – 13:45. Venue: Agora Stage
As part of the joint participation, two pitch sessions will also be held at the Pitching Stage (Hall 8.1). In these sessions, 24 university projects will be presented to investors, companies and key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem to foster partnerships and secure funding.
- Startup Pitching Session BKA
2 March 2026 | 17:00 – 18:00
3 March 2026 | 16:45 – 17:45
Venue: Pitching Stage, Hall 8.1
In addition, on 3 March 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00, the Banco Sabadell Stage will host the round table “The Sovereignty Frontier: Scaling Europe’s Strategic Tech”, focusing on the challenges and opportunities of turning scientific research into scalable initiatives with market impact. The session will feature Ángeles Vázquez Castro, researcher at the UAB, among other experts.
Date: 3 March | 10:00 – 11:00. Venue: Banco Sabadell Stage
Through this joint participation, the Barcelona Knowledge Alliance consolidates a model based on cooperation, academic rigour and the capacity to innovate with impact, positioning Barcelona as a university ecosystem capable of competing and leading in the global knowledge economy.