Barcelona, 07 January 2026 – On December 11, 2025, XaRFA actively participated in the conference “The role of R&D networks to transform research into impact”, organized by the network of networks of Catalonia, with special mention to the coordinating network H2CAT, and with the support of the General Directorate and AGAUR at CosmoCaixa in Barcelona. The meeting was consolidated as a strategic space to share experiences, discuss common challenges and explore how networks can accelerate the transfer of knowledge to the market and society.
Un marc institucional per reforçar la transferència
The day began with the institutional welcome of Dr. Javier Selva, general director of Knowledge Transfer and Society of the Department of Research and Universities, who highlighted the key role of R&D networks as strategic instruments to boost knowledge transfer and maximize the impact of research.
Debate and shared vision through three round tables
The program included three round tables focused on key aspects for the R&D&I ecosystem:
Table 1 – Networks as a decisive tool to support transfer
Moderated by Roger Cabezas (CERCA), this session was attended by Lua Po Vicente (XaRFA), Dolores Gonz).lez (H2CAT), Anna Escoda (X4HPC) and Lluís Cassou (i4KIDS / i4KIDS-Europe). During the debate, the value of networks as a lever to connect agents, reduce barriers and accelerate the effective transfer of knowledge was highlighted.
The participation of Lua Po Vicente, representing CIM UPC and the Reference Network in Additive Manufacturing (XaRFA), reinforced the positioning of these as key agents in the generation of impact from applied research in 3D printing and public-private collaboration; and as a link between research, market, people and society.
Table 2 – The importance of the team and the hybrid researcher-entrepreneur profile
Moderated by Marc Torrens (ESADE), with the contributions of Anna Castilló (Xartec Salut), Víctor Rotellar (RDI-IA), Agustí Fonts (X’AgriTech) and Pablo Bou (BlueNetCat), the session highlighted the need for hybrid profiles capable of connecting research, innovation and market.
Table 3 – Non-technological transfer mechanisms
With the moderation of Toni Bassaganyas, and the participation of Pablo Esta’ol (XarSMART), Judit López (TECSAM) and Carme Pratdesaba (ACCESSCAT), transfer models based on knowledge, governance and social impact were addressed.
Conclusions and vision of the future
The conference allowed to exchange knowledge, identify common barriers and agree on proposals to strengthen the role of R&D networks as essential instruments to accelerate transfer and generate real impact, both social and technological.
The participation of the XaRFA in this debate space reinforces its commitment to the valorization and transfer and internationalization of knowledge, collaboration between agents and the transformation of research into value for society.
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