Barcelona’s Ciutadella del Coneixement project has secured nearly €500 million in investment, with most facilities expected to be ready by late 2028. The plan aims to turn the Ciutadella Park area into a major hub for research, innovation and culture in Catalonia’s capital.
The Institutional Commission for the Ciutadella del Coneixement met in Barcelona’s Saló de Cent, bringing together representatives from Barcelona City Council, the Catalan government and the Spanish government. The meeting also included figures from the city’s research and cultural network, among them the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and local universities.
Mayor Jaume Collboni, Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, Research and Universities Minister Núria Montserrat, Culture Minister Sònia Hernández and Secretary of State Juan Cruz Cigudosa presided over the commission’s constitution. University rectors, scientific organisations, the Vila Olímpica Neighbourhood Association and the Barcelona History Museum also attended.
Over the next three years, and in some cases until late 2030, the joint initiative will coordinate work across the 18-hectare site. Once fully operational, the project is projected to employ more than 2,000 research professionals. For readers following wider Catalonia news, related coverage is available on our News page.
In 2026, work is due to begin on three new research buildings in the Mercat del Peix area. That year will also see progress on the executive project for the CSIC biosciences building on the former State Mobile Park site, which will house the Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC) and the Barcelona Biomedical Research Institute (IIBB-CSIC).
Other planned elements include the future State Public Library next to Estació de França, where construction began in October on a 5,000 square metre plot provided by the city council, and the transformation of Barcelona Zoo. A new €13 million promenade is also under way, linking Wellington Street with Picasso Promenade and improving access between Vila Olímpica and Ciutat Vella.
The Mercat del Peix research and innovation complex will cover 45,000 square metres and include three buildings focused on biomedicine, biodiversity and societal wellbeing. It began construction in 2024 and is expected to be ready by December 2028. The project includes the BSM Mobility Hub, the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) and the Agora for Societal Wellbeing (BASW), each with its own budget and completion target.