The mayor of Badalona visits the Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of IGTP

This morning, Mr Xavier Garcia Albiol, mayor of Badalona, visited the Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB), a unique scientific infrastructure of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP). During the visit, the mayor highlighted the role of IGTP as a reference in translational research and biomedical innovation in the service of global health.
The mayor was accompanied by Mrs Sònia Egea, fourth deputy mayor for Sustainability and Participation. They met with Dr Jordi Barretina, director-general of IGTP; Dr Julia García Prado, scientific director of IGTP; Mr Carles Esquerré, manager of IGTP; Dr Jordi Ara del Rey, clinical research coordinator at the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (HUGTIP); Dr Raül Zurita, head of the Innovation and Transfer Unit of IGTP; Mr Francesc Velarde, head of General Services of IGTP; Mrs Sara Capdevila, technical director of CMCiB; and Dr Míriam Gironès, business development director of CMCiB.
During the visit, the institutional representatives had the opportunity to see first-hand the state-of-the-art facilities of CMCiB, recently expanded with additional operating theatres for training in robotic surgery. This space reinforces the centre's positioning as a reference in translational research, to transfer biomedical advances into clinical practice, and in training in new technologies, both nationally and internationally.
In this context, the mayor emphasised: "IGTP is an excellent example of Badalona's potential to become a reference in biomedical research and innovation. Initiatives like CMCiB contribute not only to scientific progress but also to the economic and social development of our city". Additionally, Garcia Albiol highlighted the importance of collaboration in the scientific field: "This centre fosters collaboration between public and private institutions, facilitating advances that have a real impact on health improvement".
Dr Barretina underscored that "the development of facilities like IGTP's CMCiB exemplifies the commitment of the Catalan research system to biomedical innovation to improve people's well-being. It is not only a tool for transforming the healthcare system, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration to address the major current health challenges, but it also enables the creation of high-skilled jobs".
This visit reiterates the support of local institutions for the development of research and innovation in Badalona, positioning the city in the biomedical field. As Garcia Albiol stated: "From the Badalona City Council, we will continue working to support initiatives like this, which position us as a pioneering city in science and technology".