Scientific and Technological Centers UB: 30 years of technology serving research and innovation

The commemoration ceremony for the thirty years of CCiTUB takes place in the Paranimph of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The commemoration ceremony for the thirty years of CCiTUB takes place in the Paranimph of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Institutional
(16/05/2018)

The Scientific and Technological Centers of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB) reached their first thirty years of activity over which they have become widely known in both the national and international fields of research, innovation, and transfer. Over their years of history, CCiTUB have worked for more than 1,350 companies -public and private ones- of about 20,000 users; and they serve all lecturers and researchers of the University of Barcelona.

The commemoration ceremony for the thirty years of CCiTUB takes place in the Paranimph of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The commemoration ceremony for the thirty years of CCiTUB takes place in the Paranimph of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Institutional
16/05/2018

The Scientific and Technological Centers of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB) reached their first thirty years of activity over which they have become widely known in both the national and international fields of research, innovation, and transfer. Over their years of history, CCiTUB have worked for more than 1,350 companies -public and private ones- of about 20,000 users; and they serve all lecturers and researchers of the University of Barcelona.

“CCiTUB are part of the undoubtful progress of research in our house, and have contributed to it in a determining way. Today, after thirty years, they are an unseparatedbly part of this institutionʼs DNA, leading in research in Catalonia and Spain”, highlighted the rector of the UB, Joan Elias, during the ceremony to commemorate this day, which was held on May 15 in the Paranimph of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Clinic Campus), with the attendance of many representatives of institutions and companies.

Josep M. Bricall, former rector of the UB when the Serveis Cientifictècnics (scientific-technical services, SCT) -the seeds of the current CCiTUB-, defined the centers as “an essential piece” of the research carried out at the UB.

Moreover, the current director of CCiTUB, José Ramón Seoane, highlighted that the “creation of CCiTUB was an innovative idea at that time”, an idea based on “focused” technology to work for companies and research. He also put emphasis on the high expertize and quality which are honoured both by the “scientific and regulatory fields”. In his speech he announced the creation of the Equality Committee in CCiTUB to “work on equality and parity”.

Many of the speeches highlighted the fact that these centers are not just equipment but human capital, and that the support from technicians is an added value to research which goes farther than the uses of tools. The following UB researchers took part in the ceremony: Carlos Müller, professor from the Department of Materials Science and Chemistral Physics, and Jordi Alberch, director of the Institute of Neurosciences. The representatives of the CCiTUB staff were Isidre Casals, head of the Separation Techniques Unit, and Miguel Feliz, head of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Unit. Other collaborators in CCiTUB in the ceremony were Víctor G. Pidal, CEO of Bruker in Spain; Carlos Arribas, CEO of Izasa Scientific SLU, and David Jiménez, director of Microscopia Zeiss.     

Expertize and model facilities

At the moment, the team in CCiTUB is formed by a hundred and sixty experts and administration staff, and eighty of tem are doctors, distributed in thirty-eight units which are located in four campuses (Barcelona Knowledge Campus, Clinic Campus, Bellvitge Health Sciences Campus, and Mundet Campus). These cover a total of more than 12,000 square meters.

Over these thirty years, CCiTUB achieved a strong reputation regarding the level of expertize of its technicians, the quality of the services they offer and the response time, as shown in satisfaction surveys for the users, which are conducted regularly. 

The technical units of CCiTUB have state-of-the-art instrumental technology in continuous renovation, at the service of the scientific and industrial community. These are integrated in European and international networks supporting research, such as Eurobioimaging, and they collaborate in courses and seminars strengthening the training aspects of the University of Barcelona. Also, they provide specialized advise on the fields of chemistry, bioscience and materials and are deeply involved in science dissemination in order to bring new technologies closer to society and future university students.

During these thirty years, the evolution of their technological offering has been notable, they offer a wide range of services and work with a high number of clients from private and public organizations.

Continuously updated
Recently, CCiTUB got three confocal laser scanning microscopies, with the necessary accessories and software to develop advanced applications on optical microscopy. These new microscopies, which are partially funded by FEDER, will serve researchers from the field of biomedicine, health sciences and biomaterials, and are a big step forward regarding image quality, speed and advanced applications. This is a key technology in the study of mechanisms that take part in the development of diseases as well as the study of new cell and pharmacological therapies.    

CCiTUB have the Barcelona Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory (LRB), listed in the Map of Unique Scientific and Technical Infraestructures (ICTS), and have recently got, with a part from the FEDER fund, a radiofrequency unit which will enable advanced nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, such as simultaneous experiments in the same sample.

Certifications
CCiTUB have the ISO 9001 certification since 2005 and the support of the Servei de Qualitat de la Recerca (research quality services) of the UB. This system fulfils the requirements of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). This is the center with more technical units with this certification in Catalonia. This makes the obtained data by researchers to have a guarantee of quality, integrity and traceability which has a direct impact on the quality of their research.  
Moreover, CCiTUB are registered in the Registre de Laboratoris Agroalimentaris de Catalunya (Food Industry Laboratory Records of Catalonia) and have FDA accreditation for drug preregistration in the United States.     

 

Historical view
In 1987, the Governing Board of the UB created the Serveis Cientificotècnics (SCT). The new organ, which gathered the most specific extisting scientific services in the University, became an innovative organization which had not existed before in Spain. The merge integrated the Electronic and Spectroscopy microscopy services in 1989, under the management of Montserrat Baucells and Montserrat Roura.

With this action they intended to improve the necessary infrastructures to develop research programmes, and to increase and improve the services and performance of their investments on big teams, through the rationalization of their exploitation regime.

In 2010, with the new director, José Ramón Seoane, the STC changed its name into the Scientific and Technological Centers. This new period maintained its objective on promoting advanced research for the institution in certain fields of knowledge, expanding it and adapting it to the new social and economic scenarios. CCiTUB became a link between the university and business, and promote technological transfer and innovation within the framwework of R&D projects and agreements with industry.