Research and knowledge transfer
A research university with an international outlook focused on having the most meaningful possible impact on its environment and society
UPF defines itself as a research-oriented university. Its academic community stands out for its high-quality research, its ability to secure competitive funding and attract research talent, and, increasingly, its interdisciplinary, innovative research aimed at improving its environment and society. This unwavering commitment to research has consolidated UPF’s position as a leading university in Spain that stands out for both its ability to network with other first-rate scientific organizations and institutions and its international visibility. Its ability to devise creative formulas and incentives for creating environments conducive to research and the firm commitment of all its departments to attracting and retaining the best national and international talent have also contributed to this good reputation.
In recent decades, UPF has emerged as a leading scientific institution in terms of fostering meritocracy and the internationalization of its research community. In the coming years, UPF must maintain its ability to create knowledge and also firmly establish itself as a think tank, a laboratory of ideas and solutions, by integrating innovation and open science with increased collaboration with other players. This will enable it to promote its dynamic and flexible nature whilst strengthening its connection with the major local and global challenges of our time. In parallel, we must even further align the university’s research with policies aimed at fostering greater equity and sustainability. In other words, UPF must continue to champion meaningful research.
Read moreFirmly establish meaningful research as a hallmark of the university
Promoting an advanced and unique talent acquisition and retention policy that includes digital processes and selection criteria compatible with global standards of excellence. This policy should encourage contractual flexibility, continuous merit-based assessment, and the promotion of a transparent, inclusive academic career based on recognition of leadership, scientific freedom, and long-term professional prospects.
Promoting top-quality cross- and interdisciplinary research, providing spaces for co-creation (innovation labs, hackathons, mentor networks) and flexible structures to leverage the opportunities at the intersection of different disciplines.
Creating the optimal spaces and conditions to foster knowledge transfer and social entrepreneurship amongst all researchers involved in research projects with results applicable to society and our environment. We must work to design and implement programmes and incentives that encourage the effective transfer of results to society and the business sector and promote leadership of open-innovation projects and strategic partnerships on an international scale.
Enhancing the acquisition of external funding, with special emphasis on diversifying funding sources, active participation in international consortia, and support for entrepreneurial initiatives. We must continue to promote an institutional culture in which cross-disciplinary competitive research is a driver of innovation and facilitate access to major European calls and global alliances with leading universities.
Strengthening doctoral programmes across the different knowledge areas, taking new measures to improve the conditions in which doctoral students carry out their research activities, forging stronger ties with the business and institutional worlds through initiatives such as industrial doctoral programmes, and fostering a more collaborative and respectful work culture for everyone.
Continuously adapting research and knowledge-transfer support structures, equipping them with the capacity to respond rapidly to technological challenges (digitalization, artificial intelligence, open science) and guaranteeing the autonomy of groups and centres. We must prioritize the development of agile, digitalized administration that optimizes resource management and actively supports both competitive research and projects with high transformative potential. We must also strengthen our scientific and technical services, which are essential for the development of research projects.
Strengthening the links between the university and the research institutions and centres in our environment and elsewhere, prioritizing the creation of synergies through joint projects, interdisciplinary laboratories, and shared governance structures. We must advance in the consolidation of a collaborative ecosystem that increases the international capabilities and impact of UPF’s networked research.
Fostering public-private partnerships, promoting projects involving collaboration with stakeholders and actors from both sectors who share the university’s vision and values; further capitalizing on the funding opportunities offered by certain private organizations; and devising innovative forms of cooperation between the university and the private sector. In all these initiatives, we must always safeguard the university’s autonomy and consistency with its guiding principles.
Firmly establish a cross-disciplinary research and innovation model across all UPF knowledge areas, sensitive to the specific characteristics of each one
Deepening internationalization in all research and knowledge-transfer areas, fostering the development of strong international collaborations and partnerships, as well as participation and active leadership in the most important global scientific debates, through a proactive support and incentive strategy.
Fostering interrelations and intensive integration between teaching, research, and knowledge transfer through innovative initiatives that narrow the gap between the activities of research groups and the classroom and stimulate students’ scientific creativity from the earliest stages of their training, and by creating new bridges for collaboration between different areas and units.
Increasing the social reach and visibility of research results, knowledge, and innovation in society by applying accessible and dynamic scientific communication strategies, including public participation, dissemination of the work and experiences gathered by research groups, and the promotion of professional practices within research teams.
Building on external evaluation processes adapted to the diversity of the scientific fields that combine quantitative and qualitative indicators and recognize all forms of knowledge-transfer activity and ensuring that the results and recommendations are used as fundamental guidelines for development and strategic decision-making. We must also make progress on promoting external advisory committees that, within the context of each knowledge area, help the different departments define their research strategies and identify and highlight new talent, in order to promote a transparent ecosystem based on internationally comparable standards.
Making our research and innovation model a driving force for our doctoral and postgraduate programmes that turns them into international talent magnets and a core pillar of our research, with cross-disciplinary content that integrates training and professional growth and encourages UPF PhD graduates to be held in high regard and be widely sought after.
Actively promoting a culture of open research and responsible science, encouraging the sharing of data, codes, and results through repositories accessible to the entire community, open-access publishing, and the inclusive participation of various social actors and communities in the knowledge-creation and application processes. This practice must contribute not only to strengthening research quality and scientific impact, but also to solidifying social trust and civic engagement, aligning UPF’s research with the global values of equity, ethics, and sustainability.