- The Resource Recovery and Environmental Management (R2EM) of the Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering (CCEM) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is leading the HARMONIZE project, which focuses on the recovery and valorisation of ammonia from urban and industrial waste streams. The project is part of a larger initiative, MemTecWare, coordinated by the UCM.
- The digitalisation of human senses has advanced significantly in areas such as vision, hearing and touch. However, smell and taste continue to present a technological challenge, as their analysis relies on the identification of volatile or dissolved chemical compounds. While there are various sensors on the market capable of detecting specific gases and substances, they often lack the versatility required for comprehensive recognition of complex odours, showing limitations in adapting to different combinations of compounds.
- The Center for Technological Innovation in Static Converters and Drives (CITCEA) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) has designed a smart wireless application developed to optimize the electricity consumption of high-power devices.
- The Research Center for Supervision, Safety and Automatic Control (CS2AC-UPC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) has coordinated the SaCoAV project, focused on researching new methods and tools to ensure the safe coordination of autonomous vehicles in urban environments.
- The Centre for Technological Risk Studies (CERTEC) at UPC is participating in the WUITIPS project (Wildland-Urban-Interface Fire Touristic Infrastructure Protection Solutions), which aims to develop a new wildfire management framework for the tourism sector. This project contributes to risk analysis and the design of specific strategies to mitigate such risks.
- The Tecnologia Orientada a la Comunitat (TOC) research group at UPC, in collaboration with the Centre d'Estudis Porcins de Catalunya, leads the AEROFER project, which aims to demonstrate the viability of liquid fertilisers derived from pig manure in aeroponic cultivation, with the intention of later extrapolating it to conventional crops, thereby closing the loop from waste to resource, with a positive environmental impact on the region.
- The Maritime Engineering Laboratory at UPC (LIM) participates in a European project that will help improve the management of plastic pollution in the north-western Mediterranean and raise environmental awareness among citizens about marine preservation.
- The Agricultural Mechanization Unit (UMA) coordinates RENOVATE, a European project aimed at fostering the exchange of practical knowledge among farmers to optimize sustainable crop management through innovation.
- The project, led by the Paper Engineering Research Group (CELBIOTECH) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), aims to obtain different subproducts from the waste generated during industrial hemp cultivation, also known as hemp fibre. The proposed processes are technologies already used in biorefineries and the paper industry but with different raw materials.
- Microalgae-based wastewater treatment systems have demonstrated the ability to recover nutrients from wastewater and produce valuable biomass for agricultural applications while also recovering energy through the anaerobic digestion of residual biomass. In the Cyan2Bio project, in which the Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology (GEMMA) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is participating, an additional step will be taken in the valorisation of microalgae biomass to obtain biopolymers suitable for transformation into bioplastics alongside pigments, thereby replacing fossil-based materials.
- Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and age-related disorders, have been widely studied due to their significant impact on individuals and society. So far, these are incurable and debilitating diseases that lead to progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells, resulting in cognitive and mobility impairments. Tremors, mainly at rest, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), limb rigidity, and issues with gait and balance are typical motor disorders related to Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, due to progressive muscle atrophy, these issues can lead to falls, which in turn result in further complications and risks to quality of life.
- The energy transition is reshaping the foundations of the power grid, driven by the massive deployment of renewable generation based on power electronics and the gradual disconnection of conventional fossil-based generation. In this context, grid operators will require support systems to provide flexibility, as renewable generation is highly variable.
- The Biological Treatment of Gaseous Pollutants and Odours Group (BIOGAP) at UPC is participating in the BIOMETCRI project, which aims to implement an innovative biotechnological process to recycle batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles, recovering valuable metals such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and manganese.
- The company Natural Machines and the Heat and Mass Transfer Technological Centre (CTTC-UPC) at the UPC have completed the EFICIENT3D project, during which a low-energy cooking system was developed by integrating advanced heat transfer technologies into the 3D food printer, Foodini, commercialised by Natural Machines.
- The Biomaterials, Biomechanics, and Tissue Engineering (BBT) Research Group at the Institute for Health Research and Innovation (IRIS) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) is leading DYNAMIC, a project aimed at creating multifunctional, stimuli-responsive biomaterials that not only promote bone regeneration but also intelligently and effectively combat bacterial infections.
