The Rovira i Virgili University (URV) and El Vendrell Council signed an agreement on Monday to construct a new building at the Baix Penedès campus. This protocol marks the start of a project to create a permanent home for Nursing and Early Childhood Education programmes, which currently serve around 340 students.
Both institutions expect the executive project, which will define the building's specific needs, to be completed within a year. The new facility will accommodate current courses and have capacity for potential new degree programmes. El Vendrell's mayor described it as a “strategic” project for the municipality and the wider region.
URV Rector Josep Pallarès called the new building a “country-wide, territorial project.” The agreement aims to replace the existing structure, which has structural defects, and the temporary prefabricated modules on the site. Pallarès expressed confidence that the executive project would be ready in a year.
Defining the Future Campus
Once the executive project is complete, the cost of the works, the construction timeline, and the financing plan involving various administrations, including the Generalitat and Tarragona Provincial Council, will be established. The new building is projected to host the current Nursing and Early Childhood Education studies, with room for future expansion.
While Pallarès did not specify the exact student capacity for the new facility, he referenced the Terres de l'Ebre campus as an example. That campus started twenty years ago with 365 students and was designed for a thousand; it now has over 900 students, according to Pallarès.
Strategic Growth for Baix Penedès
Kenneth Martínez, the Mayor of El Vendrell, emphasised the new headquarters' strategic importance for the municipality and the Baix Penedès region. He stated that there are many degrees that could be developed in the area and would be well-received, such as those in Nursing and Early Childhood Education.
Martínez advocated for expanding the range of degrees, suggesting medicine, engineering, or automotive studies as possibilities. He noted the council's commitment to the health sector, linked to the local hospital, and the presence of relevant businesses in the area. The rector, however, indicated that factors such as demand, needs, and resources must be analysed before committing to new programmes.
“The important thing is to define this future project that we are considering at the territorial level and see which qualifications best adapt to these needs,” Pallarès concluded. The next steps involve detailed planning and securing funding to move from agreement to construction.
