i2CAT opens its new headquarters at Pier01 in Barcelona, marking the start of a new chapter as a driving force for innovation and digital research in Catalonia

• Albert Dalmau, the Minister for the Presidency of the Catalan Government, has officially opened the new facilities located on Barcelona’s seafront, which will enable a significant leap forward in driving technological transformation and advanced digital technologies in the country
• The centre expects strong growth over the next two years, thanks to the new facilities, increasing the number of R&D&I projects with companies from 40 to 80, boosting participation in European projects by 50 per cent, and creating new technology-based spin-off companies
• This new phase is based on a research strategy centred on three key pillars of technological sovereignty: advanced communications, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence
• The facility, covering an area of over 2,000 square metres, fosters collaboration with Tech Barcelona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and includes state-of-the-art laboratories for research into 6G, smart mobility, and networks and satellites, amongst other areas
  

Albert Dalmau, Minister for the Presidency of the Catalan Government, presided this morning over the opening ceremony of the new headquarters of the i2CAT research and innovation centre, located in the Pier01 building at Tech Barcelona, in Barcelona’s Palau de Mar. This move represents a step forward in the centre’s development; after two decades at the Campus Nord of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, it is now integrated into the heart of the city’s technology ecosystem to bring applied research closer to society, the public sector and businesses, and to become the driving force behind the country’s digital transformation. 

The new offices, covering an area of over 2,000 m², have been refurbished in accordance with sustainability and accessibility criteria. In addition to the high-performance laboratories, the space includes a multi-purpose room for technology outreach and the organisation of workshops open to the scientific community and public administration, reinforcing the role of i2CAT — a centre attached to the Department of the Presidency — as a key partner of the Catalan Government in the country’s digital transformation strategy.

This new phase is based on a research strategy centred on three key pillars of technological sovereignty: advanced communications, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.  By exploring the intersection of these fields, the centre ensures that all research and technology transfer activities are tailored to Catalonia’s specific needs, fostering an innovative digital ecosystem that addresses the real challenges facing society. In fact, the facility doubles the capacity for experimentation in areas such as artificial intelligence, satellite communications and advanced 5G and 6G networks, with the aim of generating solutions that improve everyday life and the competitiveness of Catalonia’s productive sector. 

During the tour of the facilities, Minister Dalmau, accompanied by the director of i2CAT, Sergi Figuerola, PhD, saw first-hand the new research laboratories specialising in advanced digital technologies. Also present were the Secretary for Telecommunications and Digital Transformation of the Government of Catalonia, Albert Tort; the Secretary for Digital Policies, María Galindo; the Fourth Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council, Jordi Valls; the President of the Port of Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell; and the President of Tech Barcelona, Miguel Vicente, reaffirming their joint commitment to a model of collaborative innovation that positions Catalonia as an international technological leader.

An ambitious growth outlook for the next two years

With a staff of 250 and over twenty years of experience, i2CAT has established itself as a key player in the European research ecosystem. Since 2006, it has participated in more than 136 competitive projects and, in the last six years alone, has secured more than €50 million in competitive funding, including European, national and Catalan funds. 

Thanks to these new state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories, the centre has set itself an ambitious growth target for the next two years. In the area of scientific excellence, it plans to increase its participation in European projects—which currently stands at over 30—by 50% and to boost recruitment of leading researchers (such as ICREA and ERC fellows). Furthermore, the centre aims to double the number of collaborative R&D&I projects with companies, rising from 40 over the last two years to 80, and to strengthen its technology transfer capacity by creating a new technology-based spin-off company each year.

In addition, i2CAT will launch two strategic research and innovation initiatives that are directly aligned with the Government’s objective of achieving technological and digital sovereignty for Catalonia:

• Resilience of communications infrastructure. The aim will be to ensure that the country’s critical networks are robust and secure against any threat or failure. This unit will work directly with the Centre for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CTTI) and the Directorate-General for Digital Infrastructure to strengthen the communications systems used daily by the Catalan administration.
• A digital shield for cybersecurity powered by artificial intelligence. Digital threats are becoming increasingly numerous, sophisticated, and often difficult to detect in time. This project will develop in-house capabilities for detection, prevention and response using state-of-the-art AI tools. It will have a direct impact on the challenges faced by the Catalan Cybersecurity Agency and the CTTI, and will also be transferred to the private sector, which faces the same risks.

Another key element of this new phase is the memorandum of understanding recently signed with the Port of Barcelona. This partnership will enable the i2CAT research centre to implement bespoke technological solutions, such as drones, digital twins and 5G networks, to optimise port management and promote more sustainable practices within the blue economy.

A state-of-the-art, decentralised research infrastructure, open to the wider research community

With the opening of its new headquarters, i2CAT is launching a major research infrastructure comprising 15 laboratories, characterised by a high degree of geographical decentralisation. This ecosystem features key hubs located at Pier 01 in Barcelona, the World Trade Centre, Móra la Nova and the 6GStarLab satellite facility. The satellite is Europe’s first low-Earth orbit laboratory dedicated to 6G research. It consolidates the centre’s commitment to New Space and builds on missions such as Minairó to ensure the region’s global connectivity. Furthermore, it is complemented by a pioneering facility in Catalonia: an optical laser installed at the Móra la Nova ground station that enables testing of optical communication links with satellites, a technology with very high data-transmission capacity, validated using an advanced radio channel emulator to simulate extreme space conditions.

This state-of-the-art infrastructure also focuses on securing future communications. By using quantum key distribution (QKD) platforms, i2CAT is investigating how to strengthen critical infrastructure against cyberattacks. The aim is to evaluate the performance of these devices in free-space links and under atmospheric turbulence, a crucial step in ensuring the security and resilience of communications.

The centre’s research has a direct impact on the economy. One example is the field of immersive technologies, where i2CAT’s research has led to the creation of the spin-off company Volum Technologies, which offers high-quality 3D holographic solutions for sectors such as healthcare and education.

At the same time, i2CAT is working to transform the mobility model in line with the Catalan Government’s Smart Roads Plan. Through experimental platforms in the Port of Barcelona and along the C-32 corridor, the centre is driving research into V2X technology to move towards a smart mobility model that reduces accidents and improves road safety. This initiative is complemented by a laboratory dedicated to emerging and cutting-edge technologies, such as robotics and drones. 

This ambitious roll-out has been made possible thanks to the nearly €10 million received by i2CAT under the ‘Scientific and Technical Infrastructure and Equipment’ sub-programme of UNICO R&D 6G. The programme is led by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Administration of the Spanish Government, as part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU funds.