The year 2025 has been one of consolidation, maturity and preparedness for the future at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). As we reach the end of our Strategic Plan 2021–2025, this is an opportunity to reflect with pride on the remarkable journey of the past five years and, at the same time, to look ahead with ambition towards the next chapter of our institution.
Throughout the year, we have consolidated our scientific structure, innovation model, research infrastructures, academic activities and commitment to the wellbeing and professional growth of our community, further strengthening VHIR’s position as one of Europe’s leading biomedical research and innovation institutions.
The scientific structure introduced in 2024 has now fully matured. Our five research areas, the Pediatric & Perinatal Research Hub and the five transversal CORES are fostering multidisciplinary collaboration across strategic fields, including advanced therapies, transplantation, data science, environmental health, rare diseases and ageing. Among this year’s milestones, I would particularly highlight the successful completion of the Strategic Plan of the Pediatric & Perinatal Research Hub, demonstrating the value of coordinated scientific leadership.
Another defining achievement of 2025 has been the full operation of our new research building, which has rapidly proven its value by providing state-of-the-art facilities and transforming the way our researchers interact, share ideas and generate knowledge, fostering a culture of collaboration Together with the unique infrastructures currently under development, including the Advanced Therapies and Biosafety Area, the comprehensive center for experimental and surgical research and training (NEXUS Surgical), and the future Cyclotron, the new research building will continue to expand the scientific and technological capabilities of our institution for years to come. Its innovative architectural concept has also received broad recognition beyond the scientific community, including the prestigious FAD Architecture Award 2025, reinforcing its position as an icon of research and innovation.
This year’s scientific performance further consolidates VHIR as a leading institution in biomedical research. During 2025, our researchers published more than 1,600 peer-reviewed scientific articles. More than 30% of publications appeared in D1 journals, and 29% ranked among the top 10% most cited publications worldwide. Competitive research activity has remained strong, with nearly 200 new competitive projects awarded during the year. Our current portfolio includes close to 700 active research projects and participation in 79 international research consortia, including 11 coordinated by VHIR investigators. The Vall d’Hebron Campus also continues to rank among the leading European centers in clinical research. Particularly noteworthy is VHIR’s participation in 40% of the clinical trials that contributed to new European Medicines Agency approvals in 2025, while progressively expanding our activity in early-phase clinical trials and investigator-initiated studies. Innovation and technology transfer remain central pillars of our institutional mission, with a portfolio that embraces 59 active projects and 17 spin-off companies. Two achievements deserve special mention. The first is the creation of NEUROAGE, an AGAUR-funded collaborative network bringing together more than 60 partners to advance innovation in ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. The second is the FDA approval of a treatment for thymidine kinase 2 deficiency, originating from research conducted at VHIR and licensed through our spin-off Modis. More than a decade after its discovery, seeing this innovation reach patients is a powerful reminder of our ultimate mission: to translate scientific excellence into tangible health benefits for society.
Beyond scientific excellence, 2025 has also reinforced VHIR’s identity as an institution that works with and for people. We firmly believe that outstanding research can only flourish within an environment that promotes professional growth, wellbeing and inclusion. During this year, we launched a new institutional professional career framework to support career development, continuous training, job satisfaction and professional recognition, an initiative that will progressively expand to all professional categories across the institution. Because we are committed to people’s training and education, we have expanded our academic portfolio with the launch of our third postgraduate programme, dedicated to Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This year also marked the 10th anniversary of the VHIR PhD Programme, which has already supported 79 predoctoral researchers thanks to the generosity of more than 9,700 regular donors, our valued “Amics del VHIR”. Their continued support reflects the strong bond between our institution and society. Indeed, because we believe that biomedical research must be developed with and for society, during 2025 we expanded our citizen science initiatives, strengthened responsible research and innovation activities, and laid the foundations for the future RRI & Impact Office, which will further embed public engagement, co-creation and societal impact into our institutional strategy.
Finally, 2025 has also been a year of institutional reflection. Completing the Strategic Plan 2021–2025 has allowed us to evaluate the objectives achieved over these five years and to appreciate how profoundly our institution has evolved. Looking back, we can feel genuinely proud of the path travelled together. This strategic period has been marked by important milestones, including the successful CERCA evaluation in 2023, the ISCIII reaccreditation in 2024, and the renewal of our HRS4R Excellence recognition. We have significantly expanded our participation in international research programmes, while strengthening our presence in emerging fields such as data science, artificial intelligence, and advanced therapy medicinal products. We have deepened collaboration across the Vall d’Hebron Campus, and, as mentioned, promoted patient engagement and citizen participation, expanded collaborative networks, broadened our academic programmes, and successfully completed one of the most transformative projects in our history: the construction and occupation of our new research building.
These accomplishments belong to the entire VHIR community. They have only been possible thanks to the commitment, talent and dedication of our researchers, healthcare professionals, management teams, technical staff, institutional partners and supporters. With this shared sense of achievement, we now begin a new strategic cycle. Together, we will continue building the future of VHIR as a more sustainable, impactful, inclusive and patient-centred institution, firmly committed to advancing biomedical research and transforming lives. An exciting journey lies ahead of us, and I look forward to embarking it together.
