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On 22 July an agreement was signed by the City Council of Barcelona, the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and the University of Barcelona (UB) to develop the South Campus of the Knowledge Gateway. The mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, the acting rector of the UB, Josep Samitier, and the rector of the UPC, Antoni Giró, participated in this event, which took place in the Pavellons Gaudí and represents an important step in the process of consolidating the Knowledge Gateway.

The mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, described the Knowledge Gateway as the most important teaching, research and technology transfer center in Spain and Europe. He explained that the agreement addressed the completion of the urban development of this area, which is at the far eastern end of avinguda Diagonal. Hereu also said that universities were at the heart of the strategy for the city’s future. He added that Barcelona will make historic progress at the other end of avinguda Diagonal, where another center of knowledge that includes universities is being constructed.

For his part, the rector of the UPC, Antoni Giró, stated that the Knowledge Gateway is a further example of close cooperation between the UPC and the UB. Giró also highlighted that these actions will lead to the avinguda Diagonal¬ becoming a central axis—the backbone of the knowledge society—that runs down to the sea and the 22@ district, which is a new environment for technological development that is supported by the UPC.

The acting rector of the UB, Josep Samitier, stated that the Knowledge Gateway represents the 21st century city. Samitier said that the project is an example of how universities can help to transform the city and the region. In addition, he stated that the Knowledge Gateway is outward-looking and that the campuses are part of citizens’ life and generate knowledge, two elements that are increasingly interlinked.

The Knowledge Gateway brings together the expertise and activities of the two universities, along with that of other research and training centers linked to hospitals, business schools and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The zone occupies 227 ha and has a gross floor area of 515,000 m2. It houses 16 schools and faculties and 89 university departments. Fifty undergraduate degree courses are taught in the Knowledge Gateway, and there are almost 50,000 registered students. A further 6,000 postgraduate students are based there.

The following UB research institutes can be found in the Knowledge Gateway:

• Research Institute of Applied Economics (IREA)
• Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA)
• Institute of Water Research (IRA)
• Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN)
• Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICC)
• Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB)
• Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB)
• Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB)
• Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)
• Geomodels Mixed Research Institute

The UPC has the following institutions in the Knowledge Gateway:

• Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI)
• Institute of Industrial and Control Engineering (IOC)
• Institute of Energy Technology (INTE)

The research and innovation activity generated by the science and technology parks found in the Knowledge Gateway is so extensive that it can only be touched on here. The UB’s Barcelona Science Park (PCB) was founded in 1998. It has a surface area of 30,000 m2 and is staffed by 2,200 professionals dedicated to progress in research, development and innovation. The Park houses 70 research groups, which establish synergies with the 50 companies that are also located in the Park.

UPC’s Barcelona Technology Park was founded in 2005. It occupies 3,000 m2 and houses research groups dedicated to research and innovation in industrial technologies, as well as 30 companies and two buildings for business innovation called Nexus I and II.

The areas of knowledge dealt with in the Knowledge Gateway are as follows: socioeconomic analysis and forecasting; architecture, building construction and town planning; art and creativity; sustainable development; innovation and improvement of products and industrial processes; health and quality of life; food safety and quality; and the information society and communications.


In 2007, UB revenue from research activities in the Knowledge Gateway stood at 50.9 million euros. In the same year, 1,731 research projects promoted by the UPC in the zone brought in 45.9 million euros. The Gateway was also the source of 5,700 publications in 2007 (3,313 by the UB and 2,387 by the UPC).

The activities of promoting and managing knowledge and technology transfer are also based in the Knowledge Gateway. For the UB, these activities are carried out by the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation, which was established 25 years ago. In 2007, the Foundation managed over a thousand projects with a total revenue of 28 million euros.


The Knowledge Gateway is also home to other unique research and research support infrastructures, such as the Scientific-Technical Services of the UB (SCT-UB) or the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), which is managed by a consortium composed of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the UPC and the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. The supercomputer MareNostrum is installed in the BSC-CNS.

Fifteen university libraries, two halls of residence, one university residence and different sports facilities offer a wide range of services to those who work or study in the Knowledge Gateway.

The CSIC, the business schools and hospital facilities are also present in this center of expertise and research, which has good public transport (buses, metro and the Trambaix) and road links (the Ronda de Dalt and avinguda Diagonal). There are also bicycle lanes leading to this area.



The UPC’s North Campus houses the School of Civil Engineering of Barcelona (ETSECCPB), the School of Telecommunications Engineering of Barcelona (ETSETB) and the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB). A sports center, the Rector Gabriel Ferraté Library, the Omega buildings and the business innovation buildings Nexus I and Nexus II are also located on this campus, as are the UPC’s Rector’s Office, the headquarters of the BSC-CNS and university halls of residence.

The following UPC schools can be found to the south of avinguda Diagonal: the School of Building Construction of Barcelona (EPSEB), the School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB), the School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona (ETSEIB) and the Faculty of Mathematics and Statistics (FME). The educational institutions to the north and south of avinguda Diagonal are those used by the Interdisciplinary Higher Education Center (CFIS), which offers double degrees to particularly able and motivated students from any part of Spain. The CFIS will soon also admit students from Latin America.



The Faculty of Economics and Business and the Faculty of Law can be found on the UB’s North Campus. The South Campus is home to the Faculties of Biology, Pharmacy, Chemistry, Physics, Geology and Fine Arts. The Barcelona Science Park (PCB) is also located in this area. This is a center of excellence that brings together universities’ scientific groups, companies and public research organizations.

Other UB facilities on the Campus are the SCT-UB, the Pavelló Rosa (located within the Provincial Council of Barcelona’s Recinte de la Maternitat and housing various university services), the UB sports center, the Florensa building, which houses the Student Services and other university units such as the Audiovisuals Unit and the UB publishing house. In addition, the halls of residence Penyafort-Montserrat and Sant Jordi can be found on this campus.



Barcelona Science Park Foundation (UB): second phase
The total surface area of the PCB will increase from 30,000 m2 to 90,000 m2 in the project’s second phase. This expansion, which should be completed by 2011, will create new spaces for research institutes and groups, companies and scientific and innovation support services. This area will be staffed by 2,800 new professionals dedicated to research, development and innovation. In addition, links with business will be strengthened.

Center of Scientific Infrastructures for Research and Technological Innovation (CICRIT)
A new building will be constructed for services that support campus activity. It will mainly house research and innovation support services and the ICT area. In addition, some areas will be allocated to the Technological Innovation Network (XIT).

Faculty of Pharmacy: new building
A new building will be constructed for the UB Faculty of Pharmacy, with modern areas for teaching and research. Two research institutions will be housed in this building along with a pilot plant for developing drugs.

Faculty of Fine Arts: extension
A new building will be constructed for the Faculty of Fine Arts. It will be designed for teaching activities and will include new spaces for art and creativity, such as an exhibition hall that will be open to the public.

Faculty of Economics and Business
An economics research institute, a business research institute and a center for financial forecasting and research will be designed and built.

Faculty of Law: extension
A modular building will be constructed, which will meet new teaching needs. It is being designed to fit in with the original building and its surroundings.

Faculty of Biology: library
A 3,700 m2 building will be constructed along avinguda Diagonal to house collections in the fields of biology, biotechnology and the environment.

University residence
A new university residence will be constructed to meet the need for housing undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as visitors and researchers.

Renovation of the Pavellons Gaudí
The UB has regained ownership of the Pavellons Gaudí and plans to renovate these buildings (Cavallerisses, Picador and Caseta del Guarda) and redesign the gardens (the Jardí de les Hespèrides). In the future, this outstanding space will be used for institutional events, meetings, presentations, temporary exhibitions, etc. and will permanently house technical and management units of the UB. Thus, a variety of activities will be carried out in this beautiful spot and its cultural and touristic importance in relation to Antoni Gaudí and his work will be maintained and consolidated.


Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS)
The headquarters of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) will be constructed on the North Campus, behind the former chapel of the Torre Girona, in which the supercomputer MareNostrum is currently installed. The building was designed by the architect Jordi Badia and will have a surface area of 12,000 m2, distributed over four floors. It will house 280 researchers and engineers. In addition to an assembly hall with 100-person capacity, a library and service areas for the center’s staff (e.g. a dining room) the new BSC-CNS will include spaces for companies.

The UPC Corporate Services Building
This building will be situated on the North Campus beside the Torre Girona and will have a surface area of 34,200 m2. It has been designed by B01 Arquitectes and is currently under construction. It will house various university services, the Board of Governors and other corporate spaces.

Architecture Library (ETSAB)
The Architecture Library, designed by the architects Jaume Sanmartí and Alejandro Falcones, will be built next to the ETSAB building on avinguda Diagonal. It will have a gross floor area of 1,850 m2.

Building L
This building is being designed by the architect Josep Lluís Mateo and the studios Map Arquitectes and Idom. It will be situated on avinguda Diagonal, adjacent to the ETSEIB building, and will have a gross floor area of 25,250 m2.

Building C
This building is situated on carrer Pau Gargallo and is the work of the architects Joan Ravetllat and Carme Ribas. It will have a gross floor area of 2,150 m2 and will house much of the nanoengineering research that is carried out at the UPC, including the facilities of the Nanoengineering Research Center (CRNE). The facilities will attract talent in this field, to which 20 UPC groups contribute research.


The urban development of the South Campus
The approval of the Redevelopment Plan in the western area of the South Campus (23/03/2007) has enabled the universities’ construction projects to progress and led to various actions to improve the area. Elements of civil infrastructure will be built (including an underground car park on carrer Menéndez i Pelayo and a new electrical substation by the company Fecsa-Endesa). In addition, developments have been planned for the streets Martí i Franquès, Pascual i Vila and Baldiri i Reixac.

These actions, along with the three new L9 metro stations and studies of mobility and highway administration, will help to form a more homogeneous university campus that is integrated into the city’s urban network.

In this respect, with the support of the Espacio Movistar, signs for pedestrians have been put up around the South Campus, using the model established in other areas of the city. The plan is to signpost the North Campus in the same way in the near future.

This area also contains the Pavelló Municipal Arístides Maillol, which will be revamped by putting artificial turf on the existing football pitch.

The characteristics of the planned urban developments are as follows:

Carrer Martí i Franquès
Currently, the street has not been developed. The work will be carried out between avinguda Diagonal and avinguda Joan XXIII.

Two traffic lanes are planned, one going up the hill and the other down, with two central areas for parking, which will increase the number of parking spaces by 150. In total, 410 parking spaces are planned at ground level. There will be three types of paving: an area for pedestrians, an area for cars and specific elements marking a route for people with vision problems. The project includes the use of granite in the parking spaces, pits made of galvanized sheet, benches, bicycle parking and rubbish bins.

Given the characteristics of the street, a sustainable drainage system will be installed, which will collect, filter and transport rainwater to a tank that will be built at a later stage. Some of the rainwater pollutants will be removed.

Street lighting will be installed. The existing trees will be maintained and a green area is planned around the roads and the buildings. The space that is not used for the road, pavements or trees will be grassed over.

A trickle irrigation system will be installed.

Carrer Baldiri i Reixac
This street has already been developed but is in need of some improvements and redevelopment.

The work will take place between carrers Pascual i Vila and Gregorio Marañón. The pavements will be widened. The road will be 7.6 m wide, and will provide flexible parking. The road will be one way (in the direction Besòs-Llobregat), with a two-way bicycle lane.

Mediterranean hackberry trees (Celtis australis) will be planted. A trickle irrigation system will be installed. The street lighting will be redesigned, in terms of both the electrical installation and the streetlamps, which will have parabolic supports in galvanized steel. Rubbish bins will be installed in the pedestrian areas.

Carrer Pascual i Vila
This street has already been developed but is in need of some improvements and redevelopment. The work will take place between carrers Baldiri Reixac and Pau Gargallo.

The pavements will be widened. The road will be 15.3 m wide, with bumper-to-bumper parking on both sides, and side-by-side parking in a central area separating the two traffic lanes, where there will also be a small central reservation. The direction of the lanes will remain the same. The following types of trees will be planted: Mediterranean hackberry (Celtis australis) on the Llobregat side, and Mimosa (Acacia dealbata) at the ends of the central reservation. A trickle irrigation system will be installed.

The street lighting will be improved, in terms of both the electrical installation and the street lamps. The supports will be parabolic, galvanized steel and will be distributed along the length of the street with a street light in the central reservation, where carrer Llorens Artigas crosses the road. Rubbish bins will be installed in the pedestrian areas.

The redevelopment of Baldiri i Reixac and Pascual i Vila is scheduled to be finished in six months. In addition, at the end of 2008, work will begin on the North Campus on the redevelopment of carrer Jordi Girona, between carrers Gran Capità and Tinent Coronel Valenzuela.