The Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) has secured new funding to launch a project to help tackle some of the most important environmental and social challenges in Southern Catalonia. The initiative, titled Tarragona: Salut i Economia Circular (TRAC), is part of the Regions of Knowledge programme / Regions del Coneixement, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) / Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER).
Southern Catalonia is home to an important industrial hub, extensive agricultural activity and growing environmental and social concerns. With this new initiative, ICIQ will work to connect chemistry with these real needs, supporting local transformation, to reinforce collaborations and to contribute to long term sustainable development in the territory.
The project is structured around three main areas: Net-Zero Industry; Circularity of raw materials and critical metals; and Social Medicine. The Net-Zero Industry pillar will focus on developing cleaner industrial processes and supporting industries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the adoption of more sustainable energy solutions. The circularity of raw materials axis aims to improve the use of critical materials while finding new ways to transform industrial and agricultural waste into valuable resources. The third area, social medicine, will examine how environmental improvements and industrial transformation influence public health and wellbeing, helping to better understand the social impact of the green transition.
Digitalisation will also play a role throughout the three areas, accelerating research, supporting evidence-based decision making, and improving access to scientific knowledge and services.
To make all of this possible, ICIQ will create a new unit called the Laboratory for Social and Transformative Innovation, also known as LIST. It will be composed by personnel from the projects, KTT and communication units, working closely with local research centres, universities, companies, public institutions and social organisations. Its mission will be to help identify challenges, coordinate collaborations and support the co-development of solutions that can be tested in the territory.
Beyond scientific goals, the project wants to foster citizen participation and awareness. ICIQ will organise workshops, innovation camps and outreach activities to bring science closer to the community and encourage citizens to get involved in sustainability challenges.
Through this initiative, ICIQ reinforces its role as an actor in the transformation of Southern Catalonia helping to design solutions that benefit the environment, industry and society as a whole.
Innovation throughout Catalonia
‘Regions of Knowledge’ is a programme that articulates the research and university ecosystem so that knowledge and innovation respond to the social, environmental and economic challenges of the territory. Collaboration with the public administration, the private sector and social entities provides innovative solutions and generates inclusive and equitable opportunities for citizens. A fact that favours territorial cohesion.
The program is attached to the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and is co-financed with European funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) program of Catalonia 2021-2027. It is part of the 2030 RIS3CAT, the Strategy for Smart Specialisation in Catalonia, which aims to transform the socio-economic model to make it greener, digital, resilient and fairer. The programme has an initial duration of three years.
This project is co-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the Catalonia ERDF Programme 2021–2027.
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