Today marks a defining moment for us. We have inaugurated CaixaResearch Institute, our new research centre devoted entirely to immunology, in Barcelona. Conceived as a collaborative and interdisciplinary hub, the institute is born with a clear mission: to deepen our understanding of the immune system and help translate scientific discoveries into better diagnosis, prevention and treatment for patients.

With this opening, ”la Caixa” Foundation has taken a major step forward in its long-standing commitment to health research. Backed by an investment of €100 million, the new centre provides 20,000 square metres devoted to immunology research and has capacity for 500 professionals, including 425 scientists. Our goal is to become an international benchmark for translational immunology in one of Europe’s most dynamic biomedical ecosystems.

The official inauguration has taken place in the presence of His Majesty King Felipe VI, The Right Honourable President of the Government of Catalonia Salvador Illa, and Isidro Fainé, President of the ”la Caixa” Foundation.

A collaborative model for immunology research

At CaixaResearch Institute, we focus on a field that is reshaping the future of biomedicine. Immunology is opening new paths for understanding, preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases that affect millions of people worldwide, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders and neurodegenerative conditions.

“The immune system is one of the most sophisticated systems in the human body, and understanding how it works opens the door to addressing some of the greatest health challenges of our time,” explains Dr Josep Tabernero, chairman of the Scientific Council of the CaixaResearch Institute.

This was the central idea behind his speech during the inauguration ceremony, where he offered a clear explanation of the foundations of immunology, presenting it as a cross-cutting discipline closely linked to many of today’s diseases.

Within this framework, Dr Tabernero introduced the launch of the CaixaResearch Institute as an opportunity to advance the understanding of this complex system and, from there, to develop new solutions in prevention, diagnosis and treatment. He explained how the centre structures this ambition through its three main research areas, which combine basic knowledge, integrative approaches and advanced technologies.

“We created this institute to contribute to that transformation, with the ambition not only to generate knowledge, but also to help translate it into earlier diagnoses and better therapies that improve people’s lives. Since immunology is, by nature, cross-cutting, our research is structured around three major scientific pillars — immunology and disease, systems immunology and bioengineering, and exposomic sciences — designed to connect disciplines and foster collaboration around shared biomedical challenges.”

The speech concluded with the presentation of the first confirmed researchers, who will be responsible for shaping this new phase and driving the institute’s scientific activity from the outset.

Today we have inaugurated the first of the institute’s two buildings. It is already home to the research activity of Dr Gabriel Rabinovich, Dr Josep Dalmau, Dr Gemma Moncunill as well as Dr Héctor Huerga-encabo. Lately, Dr María Martínez will join the Institute in July, as well as Dr. Maria Mittelbrunn who will come at the end of 2026. As the centre grows, it will be able to host 45 research groups and units. In 2026, the institute has a €10 million budget dedicated to talent recruitment and scientific equipment, reinforcing our commitment to building a world-class centre for immunology research.

This collaborative approach also extends beyond the institute itself. Through initiatives such as the Innovation Hub and the Biomedical Data Hub, we are helping connect talent, expertise and innovation across the wider network of research centres supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, with the aim of maximising the scientific and social impact of research.

Architecture at the service of science

CaixaResearch Institute stands at the foot of the Collserola Natural Park, opposite CosmoCaixa, in a unique location in Barcelona that reflects our ambition to place science in dialogue with both the city and society. Designed by TAC Arquitectes, led by Eduard Gascón, the building combines scientific functionality, environmental sensitivity and sustainability, creating a research environment that encourages interaction, flexibility and shared use of resources.

The project responds to the challenge of its location between the environmentally sensitive Collserola range and the Ronda de Dalt by drawing inspiration from early twentieth-century hospital architecture, with low-rise pavilions connected through courtyards and gardens and adapted to the natural slope of the terrain. Sustainability is built in from the outset, with renewable energy systems, rainwater collection and reuse measures expected to reduce energy use by 38% and water consumption by 40%.

A new scientific campus rooted in a long-term commitment to research

The proximity between CaixaResearch Institute and CosmoCaixa, now linked by the new Francesc Moragas Gardens, creates a new scientific campus in Barcelona designed to bring research closer to society. With around 1.2 million visitors each year, CosmoCaixa already plays a major role in public engagement with science, and this connection will help open up new opportunities to share advances in immunology and health more directly with the public.

The creation of CaixaResearch Institute is part of the ”la Caixa” Foundation’s long-standing commitment to health research and social impact, which goes back more than 120 years. Today, the Foundation allocates 20% of its annual budget — €147 million in 2026 — to research and innovation in health, through funding programmes, talent development initiatives and structural support for leading research centres. With CaixaResearch Institute, we add a new centre to this ecosystem, helping strengthen Barcelona’s scientific landscape and advance a broader philanthropic model for biomedical research in Europe.

The beginning of a larger journey

Today we have inaugurated the first building of CaixaResearch Institute, but this is only the beginning of a the process. The second building is expected to be progressively occupied throughout 2027, as the institute continues to grow in scale, talent and scientific capacity.

What we have opened today is more than a building. It is a new scientific project, a new meeting point for ideas and disciplines, and a new commitment to improving health through research. We inaugurate CaixaResearch Institute with the conviction that immunology is one of the defining fields of the future — and with the ambition to help shape that future from Barcelona.