The year 2025 has marked a decisive turning point in the trajectory of the Industrial Doctorate Plan (DI Plan) of the Generalitat de Catalunya, consolidating itself not only as a mechanism for advanced doctoral training, but as a critical infrastructure for the economic competitiveness and technological sovereignty of southern Europe.
Unlike previous years, where the focus could be on model validation, 2025 is characterized by the tangibility of the results: drugs obtaining international regulatory designations, quantum computers being integrated into European supercomputers and artificial intelligence systems being audited under new continental regulations. The data from the 2025 call shows a vibrant ecosystem, with funding of almost 6 million euros and a growing participation of technology-based companies (Deep Tech), transcending the traditional educational role to become a driver of disruptive innovation.
With this report we present the most relevant success stories of the year 2025, organized by thematic reports, project reports and interviews with participants of the DI Plan, to extract the underlying trends and demonstrate how doctoral talent is redefining the boundaries between the laboratory and industry.
The 2025 Strategic Context
The macroeconomic and technological environment of 2025 has been marked by the need for Europe to recover ground in key sectors such as semiconductors, advanced biotechnology and ethical artificial intelligence. In this context, the Industrial Doctorate Plan aims to act as a transmission belt, facilitating public investments to land in specific technology transfer projects.
2025 continues, and even improves, the good results obtained during the previous edition. This year we have set a new record for industrial doctorate project proposals, with more than 200, and for grant applications, with more than 160. The results and their evolution in recent years consolidate the importance of the Industrial Doctorates of the Generalitat de Catalunya as a useful instrument for the transfer of technology and knowledge, promoting the competitiveness and internationalization of Catalan industry, and providing companies and institutions with instruments to capture the talent that the country generates.
At the beginning of 2025, the results of the evaluation of the Industrial Doctorate Plan (2013-2018) were published, highlighting the high satisfaction rate among participating agents, as well as a high percentage of job placement and a very relevant index of scientific production and patents.
The most relevant content of 2025
The 2025 content collection not only shows scientific results, but also draws a complete map of how public-private collaboration is transforming strategic sectors and professional careers. To offer a comprehensive view of this impact, we present the content organized into three major blocks that address innovation from a sector perspective, technical execution, and human experience.
THEMATIC REPORTS
This first block brings together in-depth analyses that connect multiple projects under the same common thread, demonstrating how the Plan structures entire ecosystems. We highlight the report on the semiconductor industry, which illustrates how the program strengthens the entire chip value chain in Catalonia —from Ideaded materials to Qilimanjaro or LuxQuanta quantum— within the framework of the European strategy for technological sovereignty. It also addresses female leadership in the Deep Tech sector, revealing that more than half of the country's most prominent female technology entrepreneurs promote their R&D&I through this program, breaking glass ceilings in biomedicine and sustainability.
9 of the 16 entrepreneurs who define the future in Catalonia are promoting their R&D&I with the Industrial Doctorate Plan
The Industrial Doctorate Plan is consolidating itself as a cornerstone in the Catalan R&D&I ecosystem, especially in the field of Deep Tech companies led by women. At the end of 2025, the newspaper El Periódico put the spotlight on the Catalan Deep Tech ecosystem with the report “16 women at the forefront of the technology of the future”. From the Industrial Doctorate Plan (DI Plan) we have analyzed the data and the result is that 9 of these 16 leaders have trusted the DI Plan as a driving force to accelerate their research and bring innovation to the market. The report includes their profiles and projects, and highlights initiatives such as the “Female Triplets”, which highlight research teams formed entirely by women.
Promoting the presence of women in scientific and business leadership roles, as exemplified by these 9 founders and the Female Triplets teams, is not just a matter of equity. It is an indispensable country strategy to enrich research with new perspectives, accelerate knowledge transfer, and ensure that the technology of the future is designed with a plural and inclusive vision.
The strategic impact of Industrial Doctorates on the semiconductor industry in Catalonia
In parallel with this boost for female leadership, the impact of the Industrial Doctorates Plan is decisive in strengthening technological sovereignty within the semiconductor value chain. In a context marked by the European Chips Act and the PERTE Chip —where Catalonia has captured 52% of state funds—, the program becomes a key tool to ensure talent retention in a strategic sector. 2025 has been the year in which Catalonia has claimed its place on the global map of high-performance computing and microelectronics, in line with the European Chips Act. The reports analyzed show a determined commitment to building a complete value chain, from chip design to post-quantum cybersecurity, with the DI Plan acting as a catalyst for highly specialized talent.
Of the more than 1500 projects promoted by the program, eight projects with a particularly clear impact on the semiconductor industry have been selected for this report. The projects are being developed by five participating companies in the program: Ideaded, Sensofar Tech, Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, Luxquanta Technologies and Quside Technologies.
REPORTS ON INDUSTRIAL DOCTORATE PROJECTS
The second block lands in the reality of the laboratory and the industrial plant, detailing how applied research solves specific problems. The promotion of R&D&I through the Industrial Doctorate Plan is consolidated as a strategic tool for knowledge transfer, as demonstrated by five current projects that transform technical challenges into competitive advantages for industry.
Here you will find success stories such as Applus+ IDIADA's validation of autonomous driving on the open road, creating a "field truth" for road safety; SEID SA's revolution in women's health with a new oral progesterone; or Citsalp's commitment to the circular economy, closing the life cycle of car bumpers. Also included are critical medical advances such as Barcelona Liver Bioservices' research on liver diseases with a gender perspective and TÜV Rheinland's new systemic occupational risk management.
An industrial doctorate from Applus+ IDIADA faces the challenge of validating autonomous driving on open roads
"This project will allow us to continue to be global benchmarks when it becomes more important to validate these systems on the open road."
In the field of future mobility, the collaboration between Applus+ IDIADA and the UPC addresses the validation of autonomous driving on open roads, a scenario where advanced driver assistance systems must demonstrate reliability in variable and unpredictable environments that exceed the testing capabilities of closed circuits. The challenge focuses on the certification of safety by comparing the perception of the vehicle with the field truth, a difficulty that doctoral student Marc Perez Quintana solves together with the Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics through a modular reference perception system. This instrument, which uses high-precision hardware such as 360º Lidars and inertial sensors superior to commercial ones, uses data fusion to generate a catalog of the environment in real time, weighting the information according to the reliability of the sensors and optimizing the detection of 3D objects thanks to the cooperation with the Technical University of Eindhoven, thus consolidating Applus+ IDIADA's position as a global benchmark in homologation.
Towards a more effective and safer oral progesterone. An industrial PhD designs a drug to transform women's health
"Being part of a project that can transform the field of women's health represents a deep commitment to an often invisible but essential cause."
Innovation in the pharmaceutical sector is materialized in the SEID SA and UB project, where researcher Ana Isabel Gavilan is developing a new formulation of natural progesterone to optimize fertility and assisted reproduction treatments. The research solves the low bioavailability of current oral progesterone, which suffers from rapid hepatic metabolism that forces the prescription of high doses with significant side effects, through modified-release tablets that favor absorption through the lymphatic route. This route allows bypassing the hepatic passage and maintaining constant levels of the drug in the blood, improving adherence to treatment and success rates in embryonic implantation.
An Industrial Doctorate project brings new advances to treat serious liver diseases.
The synergy between the company and the university "not only improves the quality of preclinical studies, but also promotes technology transfer, bringing scientific advances closer to their application in the treatment of liver disease."
In a similar line of biomedical progress of the previous project, Barcelona Liver Bioservices and IDIBAPS-UB, with the participation of doctoral student Peio Aristu, are investigating therapies for advanced chronic liver disease. In alliance with the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, the project has preclinically validated a drug that reduces portal pressure and fibrosis, pioneering the gender perspective by detecting that sex hormones regulate hepatic signaling pathways in a differential manner, which opens the door to precision medicine that adapts treatments according to biological sex to avoid transplants.
TÜV Rheinland Ibérica and the UAB lead an industrial doctorate for occupational safety in the face of emerging systemic risks
"The UAB has been key in providing a theoretical and methodological framework that enriches the project and expands the company's research capabilities towards future challenges."
The vision of the future projected by collaborative research also extends to strategic risk management in the TÜV Rheinland Ibérica and UAB project led by Raül Díez, who proposes a paradigm shift in occupational risk prevention to address systemic threats such as pandemics or climate change. The model evolves from reactivity to dynamic preventive systems based on artificial intelligence and continuous monitoring, promoting the concept of regulatory competition where business self-demands on safety standards end up elevating the general regulatory framework towards more flexible and rigorous self-regulation.
Citsalp and the UB promote innovative solutions to promote the circular economy in the automobile industry
“Thanks to the doctoral student's experience in the company during the project, a new R&D department has been created at Citsalp, which contributes to the growth and competitiveness of the company”
Finally, the commitment to the circular economy is reflected in the collaboration between Citsalp and the UB, where Carla Zambrano is leading disruptive research into the recycling of painted polypropylene bumpers. Using physical and chemical methods free of toxic solvents, the project manages to remove the paint without degrading the polymer, allowing a closed cycle where the recovered material maintains its properties to manufacture new high-value parts. The impact of this research has allowed the creation of a new R&D department in the company, achieving up to twelve life cycles for the material and drastically reducing both the carbon footprint and the dependence on virgin plastic in the automotive sector.
INTERVIEWS WITH DI PLAN PARTICIPANTS
Finally, the third block gives a face and voice to innovation. The interviews conducted during 2025 by the Industrial Doctorates Plan have a strategic communicative value that goes far beyond simple scientific dissemination. They act as a tool for validating the model, humanizing research and demonstrating the tangible impact on society and the business fabric.
These conversations have been carried out in the 2025 financial year, and have been very diverse: industrial doctoral students tell us about their successes or their international experiences, the interviews allow doctoral students to explain not only what they research, but how they experience it. But these interviews also serve as “social proof” to demonstrate that public-private collaboration is effective and necessary. In addition, they ground complex research in concrete benefits for society, making it understandable for citizens. In this sense, executives from different companies express their experiences in the program.
In short, we believe these interviews act as catalysts of trust, showcasing real success stories that we hope reduce the perception of risk for participating new companies and inspire future doctoral students through examples of brilliant career paths.
From the strategic vision of managers like Laura Carnicero (SEAT & CUPRA), who defines the doctorate as the "ideal match" between challenge and talent, or Susana Prado (Inetum), who advocates for all companies to incorporate this figure, to the transformative experience of doctoral students. Testimonials like that of Andrea Valencia (GPA Innova) on the autonomy gained during her international stay, or the pride of Clàudia Resa (Gate2Brain) for having contributed to a pediatric orphan drug, humanize science and validate the professional growth model offered by the DI Plan.
Laura Carnicero (SEAT & CUPRA): “The Industrial Doctorate is the 'ideal match' between a real industry challenge and a talented person”
"There are two very clear aspects: one is technological innovation, going further and getting results; and the other, very clear, is the commitment to talent."
Laura Carnicero, the first woman to join the Executive Committee of SEAT & CUPRA, analyzes the company's consolidated trajectory within the framework of the Industrial Doctorate Plan, an initiative where the automotive industry has accumulated a total of twenty-seven projects since 2012.
Carnicero defines this program as the “ideal match” for the corporate ecosystem, since it allows for the organic linking of a real industrial challenge that requires a technical solution with the academic rigor and specialization of a research talent that provides the time of dedication necessary for the success of the project. This synergy generates a double strategic benefit for the organization, acting, on the one hand, as a driver of technological innovation to solve complex challenges in areas such as the circular economy, the development of monomaterials or advanced simulation, and on the other, as a tool of high value in the recruitment of talent, by allowing the incorporation of professionals who grow and are promoted within the structure of the company.
Susana Prado (Inetum – 22@ Network Barcelona): “All companies should have an industrial doctorate in their structure”
"It's not about innovating just to make more money, but about innovating to have a positive impact and transform businesses."
Susana Prado, general director of Inetum in Catalonia, argues that the industrial doctorate has served to formalize and make visible the internal innovation of the consultancy, bringing it closer to university research. The project developed by Daniel López has created a methodological framework to integrate innovation into the overall business strategy, preventing it from being just a tactical effort. Prado strongly recommends the program because it gives a “multifaceted and holistic” vision to the company and facilitates valuable international connections, such as with MIT or Harvard.
Mercè Generó, manager of Osonament: “Thanks to the Industrial Doctorate we have measured the effectiveness and impact of our interventions”
"The contribution of doctoral students has been key to making innovative programs effective and evidence-based [...]. Having them has allowed us to measure effectiveness, measure impact."
Marko Daniel, director of the Fundació Joan Miró: “The industrial doctorate helps us better understand what the Foundation is and share the results with a general public”
"This project is particularly interesting for us because it reinforces our commitment to research. It allows us to better understand what the Fundació Joan Miró is, what we have achieved in these 50 years and what our impact on society has been."
Coinciding with the institution's 50th anniversary, director Marko Daniel analyzes doctoral student Ramon Balcells' project on the history of the Foundation's exhibitions. Daniel reveals a key fact discovered by the research: 85% of the exhibitions held did not directly deal with Joan Miró, a fact that helps explain the institution's diversity in society. Daniel emphasizes that collaborating with UPF strengthens the museum's research culture and that the audiovisual element of the project will allow the results to be shared with the general public.
Joana Tobella, director of Innovation at Aigües de Barcelona: “the industrial doctorate allows us to dedicate three years to rigorously solving the company's most complex challenges.”
"Another very important benefit is the incorporation of talent into the company. Since 2013, we have participated in 13 industrial doctorates, of which we have already incorporated four people and we plan to incorporate one more this year."
Joana Tobella, Director of Innovation, sees the industrial doctorate as the ideal tool for having a person “completely focused for three years on solving a specific challenge”, something difficult to achieve in day-to-day business. With 14 projects since 2013, Tobella highlights tangible results such as new methodologies for detecting pollutants and microplastics, key during drought. She also highlights that the program is a strategic way to incorporate highly specialized talent into the workforce.
Oriol Martínez, president and founder of GasN2: “The industrial doctorate was the first stone to build our R&D department. Today we have 65 active projects.”
"If you don't do an industrial doctorate, if you don't invest in innovation, you're thinking about when and how you're going to close your company."
The founder of GasN2 explains how the first industrial doctorate was the "first stone" to build his R&D department, which today has 65 active projects. Martínez details how they have gone from manufacturing gases to developing efficient technology to capture CO₂ and transform it into useful products such as "green" plastics. He defends that innovation is the only way for a business to survive and is in favor of sharing patents if this helps solve global sustainability problems.
Vanesa Diaz (CEO of LuxQuanta): “The industrial doctorate is key to attracting talent and accelerating innovation in quantum technologies”
"The contribution of these industrial doctoral students will allow us to consolidate ourselves as global leaders, placing us among the three or five main companies in the sector."
The CEO of LuxQuanta emphasizes that the industrial doctorate is a strategic tool to attract talent in a sector, quantum technologies, where there is a shortage of specialized professionals. Diaz explains that her two doctoral students work both on the optimization of current Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) products and on the development of the next generation of photonic chips. She values the proximity to ICFO (from which they are a spin-off) to stay at the technological forefront.
João Curado, CEO of Flomics Biotech: "The industrial doctorates have allowed us to transform incipient ideas into solid projects"
"This seal of collaboration with prestigious academic institutions gives us additional credibility and opens more doors for us in the field of research and innovation."
João Curado says the three active industrial PhDs have allowed the company to “transform incipient ideas into solid projects” and obtain the data needed to secure funding. Flomics uses RNA-based liquid biopsy and AI to detect cancer, and Curado highlights that the program is essential for incorporating high-level researchers who would otherwise be difficult to hire. He also defends the importance of publishing scientific articles to gain credibility and reputation in the biotech sector.
InfoJobs and innovation in talent selection: the commitment to Industrial Doctorates
"Industrial doctorates allow us to access specialized talent and transfer knowledge to improve our users' experience."
In this interview, Marc Serra (former Director of Machine Learning at Adevinta-Infojobs) details how InfoJobs is using two industrial doctorates with UPF to innovate in talent selection. The projects focus on the development of multilingual models to process offers and CVs in several languages, and on the analysis of the ethical and legal impact of the European AI Regulation. Serra highlights that the program allows them to access specialized talent to anticipate regulations of high-risk systems and improve the efficiency of their algorithms.
Clàudia Resa: “I am proud to have developed a new drug delivery system against childhood brain cancer”
“Industrial doctoral students must always think about the applicability and industrial viability of their results, which gives them a broader perspective oriented towards real impact”
Clàudia Resa is the industrial PhD student in the project between the Hospital de Sant Joan de Déu and the company Gate2Brain on research in pediatric oncology. Her project focuses on the preclinical evaluation of an innovative drug delivery system based on shuttle peptides, specifically MiniAp-4, with the aim of improving the ability of chemotherapeutic drugs to reach the brain and act on tumors that were previously intractable. Through this technology, her research aims to take a decisive step towards clinical application, providing solutions to patients who currently do not have viable therapeutic alternatives.
In this interview, she shares with us her experience as an industrial doctoral student in a highly specialized scientific environment, explains the milestones achieved throughout the project and reflects on the value of applied research that establishes bridges between academia and business to transform knowledge into clinical hope.
Andrea Valencia, industrial doctoral student at GPA Innova: “The international stay has given me an autonomy that I didn't know I needed”
"On a personal level it has been an incredible opportunity and on a professional level too, because being alone, I had to make many decisions."
Andrea Valencia Cadena, industrial PhD student in the project between the company GPA Innova and the University of Barcelona, is developing a circular economy solution to reuse polymers in 3D printing. The research focuses on developing a circular economy model for solid electrolytes used in metal polishing technology, which are currently incinerated. The objective is twofold: first, to create a process to clean and reuse these electrolytes multiple times and, second, when they are no longer renewable, to revalue them as raw material for new products, such as flooring or acoustic insulation, thus significantly reducing CO2 emissions.
In this interview, he shares his experience during an international stay in Germany, an experience that has provided him with decisive professional and personal growth, especially in the area of autonomy and decision-making in research.
