Polytechnic University of Catalonia

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The Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Template:Langx, Template:IPA, UPC), currently referred to as BarcelonaTech, is one of the largest polytechnic universities in Spain. The majority of its Engineering Schools and Research facilities are consistently ranked as leading academic institutions in their fields in Europe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

It was established in 1971 as a result of different higher technical schools founded in the 18th century merging together. Those schools include Industrial Engineers of Barcelona (ETSEIB) and Terrassa (ETSEIAT), the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB) and some research institutes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:As of it has 18 schools in Catalonia located in the cities of Barcelona, Castelldefels, Manresa, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Terrassa, Igualada, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. As of the academic year 2024–25, the UPC has over 30,000 students and over 3,000 teaching and research staff, 67 undergraduate programs, 96 graduate programs and 46 doctorate programs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

UPC is a member of the Top Industrial Managers for Europe<ref>T.I.M.E. – Top Industrial Managers for Europe</ref> network, which allows for student exchanges between leading European engineering schools. It is also a member of several university federations, including the Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESAER) and UNITECH.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> UPC is also a parent institution of the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI).

Rankings

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) is one of the top public universities in Spain. It is ranked #97 in QS World University Rankings in the field of Engineering and Technology in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While other rankings, such as that of EduRank, ranks UPC as the best Engineering university in Spain<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The QS World University Rankings also place the UPC among the world's 50 best universities in disciplines such as Architecture, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Instruments Science and Technology and Remote Sensing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the annual university ranking conducted by El Mundo, UPC also reigns first place in fields such as Civil Engineering, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering in Spain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

File:Escuela de Ingenieros Industriales de Barcelona.jpg
Old School of Industrial Engineers of Barcelona, housed in the former Convent of Sant Sebastià until its relocation in 1873; demolished in 1910 to make way for the Via Laietana.

Instituto Politécnico Superior (1968-1971)

The university traces its origins to the foundation of the Polytechnic Higher Institute in 1968, which was formed by the merger in Barcelona of the state technical schools of Architecture and Engineering established in the mid-19th century.<ref name=Chronology>Template:Cite web</ref> The institute was presided over by industrial and aeronautical engineer Víctor de Buen Lozano.<ref name=VBL>Template:Cite web</ref>

Polytechnic University of Barcelona (1971–1983)

In March 1971 the Polytechnic University of Barcelona (UPB) was established, initially comprising:

  • the Superior Technical School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona (ETSEIB)
  • the Technical School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering of Terrassa (ETSEIT)
  • the Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB)
  • several affiliated research institutes<ref name=Chronology/>

Its first rector was Víctor de Buen Lozano, former president of the Polytechnic Higher Institute.<ref name=VBL/> That same year saw the creation of the Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering of Barcelona (ETSETB) and the Institute of Educational Sciences (ICE-UPC).<ref name=Chronology/>

In 1972 the University Schools of Technical Industrial Engineering at Terrassa (now the School of Engineering of Terrassa, EUETIT) and at Vilanova i la Geltrú (now EPSEVG), the University School of Technical Architecture of Barcelona (now EPSEB), and the University School of Technical Mining Engineering of Manresa (which that year was renamed Polytechnic University School of Manresa, EUPM, now EPSEM) were integrated into the UPB.<ref name=Chronology/> That year also saw the establishment of the University Schools of Technical Agricultural Engineering at Girona and Lleida; Girona’s school soon became a full Polytechnic University School, and Lleida began offering first- and second-cycle courses. In December 1972 Gabriel Ferraté Pascual succeeded Víctor de Buen Lozano as rector.<ref name=Chronology/>

In 1974 the Technical School of Civil Engineering of Barcelona (ETSECCPB) opened. In March 1976 the Faculty of Informatics of Barcelona (FIB) was founded, and Julián Fernández Ferrer was elected rector, succeeding Gabriel Ferraté, who had been appointed Director General of Universities and Research in Madrid.<ref name=Chronology/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 1977 the University School of Optics (EUOOT) opened in Terrassa by ministerial order.

In 1978 Gabriel Ferraté was re-elected rector, serving until 1994. In 1979 the Technical School of Architecture of the Vallès (ETSAV) opened in the Sabadell-Terrassa area; it moved to Sant Cugat del Vallès in 1991.<ref name=Chronology/>

Polytechnic University of Catalonia (1983–present)

On 4 July 1983 Spain’s University Reform Act (LRU 232/1985) paved the way for new statutes, and in 1984 the institution was officially renamed the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). On 19 December 1984 the Parliament of Catalonia established university coordination laws and social councils, appointing Pere Duran Farell as the first President of the UPC Social Council.<ref name=Chronology/>

File:Facultat de Nàutica, Pla de Palau.jpg
The Faculty of Nautical Studies of Barcelona (FNB) joined the UPC in 1990.

In 1990 the School of Civil Marine Engineering became the Faculty of Nautical Studies (FNB). In 1991 the Polytechnic University School of the Baix Llobregat opened (later EPSC in Castelldefels), and in 1992 the Faculty of Mathematics and Statistics (FME) was established; that year the UPC schools in Girona and Lleida joined the newly founded University of Girona and University of Lleida respectively.<ref name=Chronology/>

In 1994 Gabriel Ferraté stepped down to become first rector of the Open University of Catalonia; Jaume Pagès i Fita succeeded him as rector and Xavier Llobet Colom became President of the Social Council. That year saw the founding of Edicions UPC and the Politècnica Foundation, and the opening of the School of Photography in Terrassa. In 1996 the Rector Gabriel Ferraté Library opened at the Diagonal Nord Campus. The UPC also began integrating two Barcelona provincial schools—EUETIB and EUETAB—into its system.<ref name=Chronology/>

In 1998 the Multimedia School in Terrassa opened and later merged with the School of Photography to form the Centre for Image and Multimedia Technology (CITM). Expansion continued with new campuses in Manresa and Castelldefels, and the creation of the Barcelona Industrial School Consortium (CEIB). UPCnet, the university’s Internet service, launched the same year.<ref name=Chronology/>

In 2000 the technology centres at Vilanova i la Geltrú and Manresa began operations. In September 2001 the first building of the Mediterranean Technology Park opened at Baix Llobregat, followed in October by the Barcelona Technology Park at Diagonal Sud. That year the Baix Llobregat School was renamed EPSC and in 2010 became the School of Telecommunications and Aerospace Engineering of Castelldefels (EETAC).<ref name=Chronology/>

In 2002 Josep Ferrer Llop was elected rector under a universal weighted suffrage system, and Joaquim Molins became President of the Social Council. On 12 February 2003 the Parliament of Catalonia approved the Universities Law (LUC), and in May the UPC Senate ratified new statutes. A collaboration agreement with the Department of Universities, Research and Information Society (DURSI) initiated curricula adaptation to the European Higher Education Area from 2004. In 2003 the Centre for Interdisciplinary Higher Education (CFIS) was founded at the Diagonal Sud Campus.<ref name=Chronology/>

In 2004 UPC hosted the first International Conference on Higher Education organised by the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI), subsequently held biennially. In January 2005 the second phase of the Omega Building opened at Diagonal Nord, and the MareNostrum supercomputer was installed in the Torre Girona chapel, co-managed by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, UPC, the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, and DURSI. Meanwhile, the Baix Llobregat campus opened new facilities for EUETAB and the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), and Manresa inaugurated a combined university library. In Villanova i la Geltrú the city council granted space in the Neàpolis building for the technology centre and EPSEVG, while ETSAV opened its Technology Transfer Centre (CRITT).<ref name=Chronology/>

2006–2010

In March 2006, Professor Antoni Giró Roca was elected rector, which brought forth the adoption of the European Higher Education Area and the launch of the “Horizon 2010” Research and Innovation Plan. Over the next five years the UPC:

  • Approved its first EHEA-adapted master’s programmes (academic year 2006–07).<ref name=Chronology/>
  • Launched the online newsletter e-informacions and relaunched its print magazine Informacions (2007).<ref name=Chronology/>
  • Fully integrated the Barcelona School of Agricultural Engineering (2008) and upgraded its North Campus façades along Carrer Jordi Girona.<ref name=Chronology/>
  • Opened its Brussels office to strengthen ties with the European Commission (2009).<ref name=Chronology/>
  • Laid the foundation stone for the Diagonal-Besòs Campus (December 2009).<ref name=Chronology/>
  • Founded the Innovation and Technology Centre (CIT UPC) (2010), inaugurated the Agrópolis agri-food hub in Viladecans (2010), assumed the presidency of the Vives University Network, and saw the Castelldefels School of Technology renamed EETAC.<ref name=Chronology/>

2011–present

Since 2011 the UPC has continued expanding its research infrastructure, global partnerships, and campus life:

  • 2011: Inauguration of the Nanoengineering Research Centre (CRNE) on the Barcelona Knowledge Campus.<ref name=Chronology/>
  • 2013–2015: Opening of the K2M Building and ICFO facilities, and Barcelona Knowledge Campus’s designation as an International Campus of Excellence.<ref name=Chronology/>
  • 2023: Installation and inauguration of MareNostrum 5 at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, reinforcing the UPC’s leadership in high-performance computing.<ref name=Chronology/>
  • 2024: Approval of the new UPC Statutes under the European university alliance UNITE!<ref name=Chronology/>
  • 2025: Presentation of IRIS, the UPC’s new Research and Innovation in Health Institute.<ref name=Chronology/>


Notable alumni

  • Anna Kiesenhofer (born 14 February 1991), Austrian professional cyclist and mathematician; Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist in the women’s road race; PhD in Mathematics from the UPC.
  • Matthias Maurer (born 18 March 1970), German ESA astronaut and materials scientist; selected for SpaceX Crew-3 to the ISS; studied materials science at UPC.
  • Olga Malinkiewicz (born 26 November 1982), Polish physicist, inventor and entrepreneur; co-founder and CTO of Saule Technologies; developed inkjet-printed perovskite solar cells; UPC alumna.
  • Oriol Vinyals (born 1983), Spanish machine-learning researcher at DeepMind; co-inventor of the seq2seq model; studied telecommunications engineering at UPC.
  • Mateo Valero Cortés (born 1952), Spanish computer architect; founding director of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (home of MareNostrum); PhD in telecommunications engineering from UPC.
  • Carme Pigem Barceló (born 8 April 1962), Spanish architect; co-founder of the Pritzker Prize–winning firm RCR Arquitectes; studied at UPC’s ETSAV.
  • Roger Torrent i Ramió (born 19 July 1979), Catalan politician and urban planner; President of the Parliament of Catalonia (2018–2021); UPC postgraduate in territorial and urban studies.
  • Pere Navarro Olivella (born 25 May 1952), Spanish civil servant and politician; Director-General for Traffic since 2018; degree in industrial engineering from UPC.
  • Josep Roca i Soler (b. 19XX), engineer and co-founder of Roca, studied industrial engineering at the UPC.

Schools

Affiliated Schools

UPC UNESCO Chairs

  • Càtedra UNESCO de Direcció Universitària (CUDU) – UNESCO Chair of Higher Education Management
  • Càtedra UNESCO de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria de la UPC – UNESCO Chair of Numerical Methods in Engineering
  • Càtedra UNESCO de Sostenibilitat – UNESCO Sustainability Chair
  • Càtedra UNESCO en Salut Visual i Desenvolupament – UNESCO Chair of Vision and Development
  • Càtedra UNESCO en Tècnica i Cultura – UNESCO Chair of Technology and Culture

UPC Research Centers

The UPC has a number of research centres.

  • BSC – Barcelona Supercomputing Center
  • CCABA – Advanced Broadband Communications Center
  • CD6 – Centre for Sensors, Instruments and Systems Development
  • CDPAC – Cen. de Documentació de Projectes d'Arquitectura de Catalunya
  • CEBIM – Molecular Biotechnology Centre
  • CERpIE – C. Recerca i Desenv. per a la Millora i Innov.de les Empreses
  • CETpD-UPC -Tech. Research Cen. for Dependency Care and Autonomous Living
  • CPSV- Centre of Land Policy and Valuations
  • CRAE – Centre de Recerca de l'Aeronàutica i de l'Espai
  • CRAHI – Centre de Recerca Aplicada en Hidrometeorologia
  • CRAL – Centre for Research and Services for the Local Administration
  • CIMNE – International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering
  • CREB – Biomedical Engineering Research Centre
  • CREMIT – Center for Engines and Heat Installations
  • CRNE – Centre for Research in Nanoengineering
  • LACÀN – Specific Research Center of Numerical Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering
  • LIM/UPC – Maritime Engineering Laboratory
  • LITEM – Laboratori per a la Innovació Tecnològica d'Estructures i Materials
  • MCIA – Center Innovation Electronics. Motion Control and Industrial Applications
  • PERC-UPC – Power Electronics Research Centre
  • TALP – Template:Lang
  • TIEG – Terrassa Industrial Electronics Group
  • CIMNE - Centro Internacional de Métodos Numéricos en la Ingeniería


Science Fiction Award

From 1991–2010, the Board of Trustees at the UPC organized and awarded an annual Science Fiction Award. Currently the award is presented bi-annually.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Previous winners include:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • 2007: Brandon Sanderson, Defending Elysium; and Carlos Gardini d'Angelo, Belcebú en llamas
  • 2008: Eduardo Gallego Arjona and Guillem Sánchez Gómez, La cosecha del centauro<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 2009: Roberto Sanhueza, Bis<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 2010: José Miguel Sánchez Gómez (Yoss), Super extra grande
  • 2012: Miguel Santander, La epopeya de los amantes
  • 2014: Roberto Sanhueza, El año del gato

See also

Notes and references

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