Science and Innovation

This morning, the closing ceremony of the BCN Health Booster accelerator took place. This business development program in the health sector was promoted by the Parc Científic of the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Barcelona City Council, in collaboration with Barcelona Activa and with the support of Biocat. After three years, the eleven participating entities—initially selected for the innovative potential and social impact of their business projects—have achieved a 99% increase in human resources, a 66% growth in international talent acquisition, and a 71% rise in female leadership within executive teams. In total, they have registered 69 patents during the program, three of which are currently in process.

“BCN Health Booster is a success story—a win-win between science, business, and social and economic progress. It is an example of how combining an entrepreneurial seed, represented by the participating companies; a fertile ground, such as Barcelona’s excellent ecosystem of science, research, and education; and the crucial role of entrepreneurial public institutions, like the Barcelona City Council, which also innovates, funds, promotes, and supports innovation—helps build a better society. It is no coincidence that Barcelona is a global reference in the biomedical sector. This is the path to the future,” emphasized Jordi Valls, fourth deputy mayor of the Barcelona City Council.

Boosting Innovative Health Research Initiatives

Six of the eleven projects are focused on discovering therapeutic products, three are developing diagnostic systems for various diseases, one specializes in manufacturing biomaterials for the health sector, and another is dedicated to enzyme design. Over the three years of the program, the main areas of focus have remained consistent, with a particular emphasis on oncology—more than half of the participating companies operate in this field. The remaining projects focus on solutions for detecting infectious diseases, developing drug delivery systems for chronic illnesses, and discovering new therapeutic molecules for fibrotic diseases.

Increasing Female and International Talent

The significant growth in human resources has also been accompanied by a notable rise in female leadership within executive teams. The presence of women in leadership positions increased by 71%, with a total of 24 women in founding or executive roles within the participating companies, compared to 14 at the start of the program. Likewise, the accelerated entities have successfully attracted global talent to their leadership teams, with a 66% increase in international professionals from Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, the United States, Greece, Portugal, Poland, and Cyprus.