Transformation of Artèxtil Underway
The rehabilitation of the former Artèxtil textile factory in Sabadell has officially begun, marking the start of a strategic project to establish a new urban campus for life and health sciences by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The works, which started in early September, were formally inaugurated today in an institutional ceremony attended by the Mayor of Sabadell, Marta Farrés, Catalan President Salvador Illa, UAB Rector Javier Lafuente, and regional health officials. The project will convert more than 4,000 square metres of the 7,600-square-metre site into the future Faculty of Medicine, with the first phase expected to be completed by the 2027–2028 academic year. The investment totals €11.6 million, double the initial estimate, and is part of a broader vision known as the Knowledge Axis along Sabadell’s Gran Via.
New Campus to Boost Education and Research
The new Campus Urbà de Ciències de la Vida i de la Salut will house the UAB’s health sciences teaching units currently based at Parc Taulí Hospital, including medicine and nursing students, with relocation expected by the 2028–2029 academic year. The main factory hall will host academic programmes, while the historic office block will be preserved for administrative use. A future second phase will repurpose the factory’s annexed tower into a business and research incubator. The redevelopment is expected to strengthen Sabadell’s role as a hub for education, innovation, and healthcare, freeing up space at Parc Taulí Hospital for expanded services.
"L'Artèxtil was a major economic engine last century, but we needed to work so it regains that potential and purpose."Marta Farrés, Mayor of Sabadell
"This project shows how universities should be conceived, as knowledge hubs. Sabadell is strategically important for our institution due to its interdisciplinary connections."Javier Lafuente, Rector of the UAB
Reported by radiosabadell.fm, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Consorci Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Ràdio Sabadell.
