The report L'Estat de la ciència a Catalunya 2023 (The State of Science in Catalonia 2023), which has recently been published, recognises the University of Barcelona as one of the main drivers of transformation in Catalonia and highlights its leadership in the scientific field.Specifically, the UB stands out in terms of R&D resources raised, with 89.4 million euros in 2021, followed by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, with 54.1. In terms of scientific production, the University of Barcelona accumulated 30,470 articles during the 2016-2020 period, with a normalised impact of 1.64. 59.9% of this research was published in high-impact journals corresponding to Quartile 1.
The UB also obtains good results in innovation and transfer; specifically, in patent applications, where it leads the ranking in 2021, with 104 applications, followed by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, with 54.
Coordinated by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI), the report points to the universities as "the main organisations in the country in scientific matters", as it is where "almost two thirds of Catalan scientific production is carried out". In this sense, the publication highlights their efficiency because, considering the scarce resources available to universities, the results are very relevant. The incentive policy for science, the internationalisation of science and the Industrial Doctorate Plan are other aspects highlighted in the report.
The report also points out important areas for improvement, such as the low level of funding for university research, the rigidity and bureaucratisation of the university and scientific system, the ageing of the workforce, the loss of female talent and the lack of a stronger commitment to open science.
