Bellvitge Hospital is one of the driving forces behind this strategic national project aimed at promoting the knowledge economy within a privileged environment.
The BioCluster for Innovation and Health is a strategic national initiative designed to consolidate and strengthen biomedical research and innovation through a powerful ecosystem capable of attracting companies from the healthcare sector. This cluster is set to become one of the most important in Southern Europe and to have a significant impact on both the labour market and Catalonia’s GDP.
The project is clearly committed to fostering a knowledge- and innovation-based economy, encouraging the establishment of new companies linked to medical technologies, biomedicine, and the pharmaceutical and services industries within a highly favourable environment.
It is estimated that the cluster will generate annual revenues exceeding €7 billion, contributing more than €4.5 billion to Catalonia’s GDP, equivalent to 1.86% of the region’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In addition, it is expected to generate over €1.7 billion in wage income and create nearly 50,000 jobs.
The BioCluster for Innovation and Health is linked to the Biopol Granvia Urban Development Master Plan, promoted by the Government of Catalonia and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council. This plan will facilitate the establishment of new companies, encourage greater integration between facilities, economic activity areas and their surrounding environment, and reorganise road access through a sustainable mobility model that preserves the ecosystem and environmental conditions.
The BioCluster will be structured primarily around the Bellvitge Health Campus, comprising:
- Bellvitge University Hospital
- Catalan Institute of Oncology
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL)
- University of Barcelona
- Medical Emergency Service
- Delta Primary and Community Care Management Area
In addition, it will include a second development hub in Esplugues de Llobregat, with Sant Joan de Déu Children’s Hospital as its principal partner, as part of the municipality’s urban and economic development strategy.
The BioCluster will be aligned with national health development policies and strategies, as well as with the economic transformation priorities promoted by the Government and with key policy initiatives capable of driving economic activity and employment across Catalonia.
Smart Health Community
The flagship initiative driving the integration of Bellvitge University Hospital into the BioCluster for Innovation and Health is the Smart Health Community project. The Smart Health Community has been designed around three strategic priorities:
- Personalised medicine to improve health outcomes and quality of life through a patient-centred model.
- The advancement of health data and digital health models to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the healthcare system.
- The knowledge economy through the incorporation of emerging and precision technologies. All current innovation projects at Bellvitge University Hospital incorporate elements from these three priority areas.
CuidaL’HFutur, an alliance to understand and Heal
The ambitious CuidaL’HFutur project, which is already underway, is an excellent example of the outcomes that can be achieved through a strategic partnership of the scale and ambition of the BioCluster for Innovation and Health.
The project brings together L’Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council, Bellvitge University Hospital, the Delta and Baix Llobregat Primary and Community Care Management Area, IDIBELL and the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAP Jordi Gol). It includes plans to carry out whole-genome sequencing for up to 10,000 individuals, half of whom will be healthy participants and the other half patients affected by cancer or rare diseases.
Greenvia Building, a new platform for the Cluster
The new Greenvia Building, located at 189 Granvia Avenue in L’Hospitalet, is the first newly constructed building specifically designed to support the development of the BioCluster for Innovation and Health.
Through Greenvia Labs, the building will soon provide fully equipped environments for high-level research and development. Facilities will include specialised spaces such as cell culture laboratories and clean rooms, as well as open laboratory areas dedicated to active research and experimental work.
These facilities will provide an ideal environment for research-based start-ups, while also accommodating established companies. Their purpose is to create the optimal framework for biomedical research and to accelerate the transformation of knowledge into value, economic activity and prosperity for the region.
