The Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) has concluded its participation in the Expoquimia 2026 trade fair, held last week in Barcelona, with highly positive results. Over four intensive days, the institute positioned itself as a key meeting point connecting cutting-edge science with the industry, society, and talent, reaffirming its role as a driving force behind the energy transition and the circular economy.
ICIQ’s presence at the fair exceeded initial expectations, both in terms of forging synergies with companies in the sector and the widespread interest generated by its technological solutions. The ICIQ stand at the Expoquimia 2026 fair was conceived as an open space to showcase the centre’s research and technology transfer to industry, which attracted numerous companies interested in collaborating with ICIQ to drive their innovation.
Dr. Fernando Bravo, Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) Manager at ICIQ, expressed great satisfaction at the close of the event: “We are thrilled because we have comfortably exceeded all the goals we set for this edition of Expoquimia. It has been a resounding success. We have proven that we can successfully transform laboratory research into market solutions with high industrial value.”
Strong Institutional Support
Throughout the four-day event, the ICIQ booth welcomed top-tier institutional visitors. On the opening day, Miquel Sàmper, Minister of Business and Labour of the Government of Catalonia, accompanied by Carles Navarro, President of Expoquimia, learned firsthand about the institute’s pilot plant project for carbon capture and utilization (CCU) aimed at industrial decarbonization.
Minister of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia, Núria Montserrat, also gave her support to the ICIQ, and took an interest in both the research currently being carried out and the industrial transfer and collaboration projects.
Additionally, the booth received several high-profile figures interested in the potential of ICIQ’s research, including Andreu Mas-Colell, President of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST); Lucia López, Delegate of the Governmentof Catalonia in Tarragona; Elisabet Romero, Sub-delegate of the Government in Tarragona; Maria Mas, Managing Director of the AEQT; Andreu Martín, Member of Parliament; and a delegation of directors from ACCIÓ’s International Offices.
Scientific Debate and Innovation
ICIQ maintained a highly active debate agenda through several panel discussions, where researchers and experts shared forward-looking insights on strategic issues:
Sustainability and Energy: Discussions focused on renewable energies, industrial decarbonization, and the current state of sustainable polymers.
Health and Technology: Analyzing the chemical revolution within the healthcare sector and the role of digitalization (artificial intelligence, computing, and automation) in future research, highlighting tools like the ioChem-BD platform and ICIQ’s institutional research digitalization project.
Talent: A live broadcast from the booth featured a special episode of Tarragona Ràdio’s ‘Blau de Prússia’ podcast, discussing international talent acquisition and ICIQ’s IVORI program.
Outreach: Bringing science closer to the general public in a fun way through the SUPERVAL card game, which focuses on the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
The institute’s capacity for technology transfer was also on full display. Dr. Fernando Bravo participated in ACCIÓ’s Innovation Day with an elevator pitch presentation. Furthermore, Prof. Emilio Palomares, Director of ICIQ, spoke at the Smart Chemistry Ágora, and Dr. Júlia Viladoms, Head of the Industrial Decarbonization Unit, shared her expertise at ACCIÓ’s Innovation Hub.
With these excellent results, ICIQ concludes its participation in Expoquimia 2026, consolidating existing ties and opening new pathways for collaboration to translate scientific knowledge into a real-world impact on society.
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