França building, headquarters of Telefónica's first R&D centre in Catalonia

15 November saw the launch of the first research and development centre in the field of multimedia established by Telefónica in Catalonia, the company’s third in Spain. The new facilities were located in the França building.

The activities carried out at Telefónica’s new R&D centre, occupying 1,500 square metres of the building’s south wing, aimed at developing new media services and their application in all everyday areas: business, the home, the world of leisure, telemedicine or teleeducation. The centre was expected to generate 110 direct jobs within a period of four years.

Telefónica and UPF also agreed to create the Telefónica chair in Multimedia Production. With its headquarters in the França building and directed by UPF lecturer Vicente López, the chair promoted research into multimedia products for educational purposes. 

Photo: César Alierta, chairman of Telefónica; Artur Mas, first minister of the Catalan Government, and Rosa Virós, rector of UPF, on the day of the opening ceremony (from left to right).