The Catalan Department of Research and Universities will allocate €2.5 million to expand the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud) in Tarragona. The investment aims to double available research space from 600 to 1,350 square metres, adding a new upper floor and extending the current building at the rear.
The expansion, expected to be completed by the end of 2027, will improve working conditions for over 50 staff across nine research teams currently based at the site. It will also allow the relocation of research staff currently housed at Joan XXIII Hospital, freeing up hospital space for clinical use.
IRB CatSud conducts research into infectious, cardiovascular, liver, and intestinal diseases, with a focus on rapidly translating findings into patient care. Director Joan Vendrell stressed the importance of maintaining research within hospital campuses like Joan XXIII and Sant Joan in Reus to ensure direct clinical impact.
The facility currently lacks a lift for people with reduced mobility, but the upgrade will improve accessibility, energy efficiency, and include a new façade. The regional government is set to formally approve the funding on Tuesday.
Reus Clinical Trials Unit Underway
Separately, construction has already begun on a new 550-square-metre Unit of Clinical Research (UIC) at the University Hospital Sant Joan in Reus, supported by IRB CatSud. Funded with €4.3 million from the national Instituto de Salud Carlos III and Next Generation EU funds, the unit will enable early-phase drug trials, including experimental cancer treatments previously only available near Barcelona.
The UIC will serve over 800,000 residents across Camp de Tarragona, Baix Penedès, and Terres de l’Ebre, offering more equitable access to innovative therapies. It will feature high-precision technology, including a 3 Tesla MRI scanner, and include a body composition analysis unit funded by Tarragona Provincial Council with €500,000. Works are expected to conclude by late 2026.
"We want to dignify professionals with world-class facilities," said Research Minister Núria Montserrat.
Collaborating institutions include the three regional health authorities, local administrations, and Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by canalreus.cat, La Guia de Reus, iispv.cat, Ràdio Ciutat de Tarragona, LANOVA Ràdio de Reus, laciutat.cat, irbcatsud.cat, reusdigital.cat.
