Organization

Doctor in Medicine, specialized in Clinical Pharmacology, Professor at the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and Director of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB).

For more than 35 years, his scientific activity has focused on the field of neuroscience. Academically he has worked at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Pompeu Fabra University, holding different positions in both universities (Delegate of the Rector, Dean and Head of Department).

He was the Director of the Municipal Medical Research Institute from 1985 and 2005, took part in starting up new research centres and has encouraged research infrastructures such as the PRBB, which manages since 2005.  He was the first director of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation from 2008 to 2020. 

He studied naval engineering at the Higher Technical School of Naval Engineers of Madrid. He also earned an MBA at IESE. He was CEO and President of Applus from 2006 to 2014, CEO of ITP, General Director of Gamesa, Dean of the Official School of Naval and Oceanic Engineers of Spain, President of the Barcelona Port Authority and President of the Social Council of University of Barcelona. He has received two crosses of Naval Merit and one of Aeronautical Merit. He also holds the Grand Cross of Order of Alfonso X El Sabio and was named “Best nautical sportsperson” in 1978. He is now adviser to the President of Gamesa, a member of the board of several companies and associate Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Àngel Font i Vidal, holds a PhD in Economics (Universitat Ramon Llull de Barcelona) and a degree in Chemistry (Universitat de Barcelona). He also holds a diploma in Business Management from EADA-Business School.

He began his professional career in environmental engineering, although he joined Intermón Oxfam at an early age, where he held various management positions, first coordinating the programs in Latin America and later as Deputy to the General Director, where he acted as coordinator of integration within Oxfam and was responsible for strategic planning. Later, he joined Caixa Catalunya to direct the One World Foundation, where he promoted microfinance, labor insertion and social housing programs.

He was vice-president of the European Microfinance Network representing Caixa Catalunya.

In 2010, he joined the “la Caixa” Foundation, where he has developed several functions of organization, people and strategy. He was also the first to hold the position of Manager of ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health) during its gestational stage. Currently, he is Deputy Director General of Research and Grants of the “la Caixa” Foundation and Executive Director of the CaixaResearch Institute.

He is also President of Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association) on behalf of the “la Caixa” Foundation.

José García Montalvo is Professor of Economics at the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and Research Professor at the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and the IVIE. He has a degree from the University of Valencia and a doctorate in economics from Harvard University. He obtained the First National Prize for Completion of the Bachelor of Economics and the Extraordinary Bachelor Prize. He has been a consultant for a multitude of companies and international organizations including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the European Union and the OECD among other institutions. Among these studies, the impact of scientific infrastructures or the financing of universities stands out. He has been Director of the Department of Economics and Vice-Rector for Scientific Policy at the UPF. He is currently Commissioner for Scientific Strategy at the UPF and a member of the Council of Social Sciences of the Ramón Areces Foundation. He has published 17 books and more than 140 scientific articles. He has obtained numerous recognitions for his research work such as the Rey Jaime I Prize for Economics (2019), the Catalunya Economics Prize (2017), twice the ICREA-Academia distinction or the UPF Social Council Award for Knowledge Transfer.

He has a degree in Physics from the University of Barcelona and a PhD in Computer Sciences from the Ramon Llull University. He has more than 12 years of experience working in research settings. In 2011 he was appointed General Manager of Research of the Government of Catalonia, a position he held until 2015. He currently serves as an associate director for the Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centre Nacional de Supercomputació.

He has a PhD in Biology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, serving as professor of genetics and lecturer and researcher at ICREA in its
Department of Experimental and Health Sciences at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. His research focuses on population genetics, molecular evolution, genome-to-phenome relationships, and evolutionary medicine. In January 2016 he was appointed Secretary of Universities and Research of the Department of Knowledge and Business of the Government of Catalonia, a position he held until July 2018.

He has a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Since 1999 he has taught at Pompeu Fabra University, where he serves as professor at the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, acting as head of the department from 2007 to 2013. He then took up the post of vice chancellor for scientific policy, holding this position until 2015 and commissioner for Scientific Strategy until 2018. He currently serves as director of the Biomedical Research Institute (IRB Barcelona).

Marcel Prunera Colomer, born on October 24th, 1972 in Barcelona. Economist from the UB, with various master's training in real estate management from UB and URL. He is a founding partner of Crea Inversión and Prisma Capital as well as President of GuinotPrunera. His professional career has led him to manage and work in financial services, investment and real estate companies. He has experience working both in multinationals and family businesses or undertaking his own projects. Also, for 7 years he was Director General of Economic Promotion of the Generalitat de Catalunya. He has always combined his professional activity with work with non-profit organizations in the field of culture, health and social impact.

Partner at Alta Life Sciences, a venture capital fund for life science companies, with headquarters in Barcelona. Former posts include: Managing Director of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Parc Científic de Barcelona, and Biocat. PhD in Biology by UB (1991), Master’s Degree in Science Communication (Barcelona School of Management-UPF 1997) and General Management Program by IESE (2007). Trustee of EADA and Board Member of RACC.