2023, a year of advancing strategic projects

2023 has been a pivotal year for prioritizing and advancing strategic national initiatives to enhance Catalonia's standing in research, innovation, and future healthcare. Biocat has introduced the Operational Plan for Access to Innovation in the Catalonia Health System and the Action Plan for the Hub of Advanced and Emerging Therapies in Catalonia.

Another significant event was Barcelona being chosen to host BIOSPAIN 2023, one of the largest international biotechnology events in Southern Europe, held from September 26 to 28, 2023, thanks to a coordinated collaboration between Biocat, the Government of Catalonia, and the Barcelona City Council. Additionally, Barcelona was selected again to host BIO-Europe Spring 2024.

International Positioning and Influence of the BioRegion

Noteworthy are the major international events held in Barcelona this year, such as the 4YFN, where more than 45 health startups from the BioRegion participated. Additionally, the well-established BioRegion of Catalonia Report 2022 was published and presented, and the Barcelona Health Innovation Week was launched. During this week, 20 research entities, accelerators, companies, and sector support agents organized around twenty activities to showcase the richness and diversity of Barcelona's life sciences and health ecosystem.

As in previous years, Biocat has continued to work intensively on developing various innovation programs, training professionals and entrepreneurs, accelerating projects, accessing capital and investors, and disseminating sectoral knowledge. Throughout this report, we review a selection of initiatives and projects that have received significant resources and had a notable impact.