The technology centre Eurecat and CREAF have established a joint research and innovation unit to develop and transfer technological solutions to society and industry, aiming to accelerate the adaptation of Catalonia to the effects of climate change. The alliance between the two organizations seeks to ensure that Catalonia is prepared to face global warming from territorial, social, and business perspectives, using science and innovation as key tools.
Eurecat’s CEO, Xavier López, and CREAF’s director, Joan Pino, signed the collaboration agreement today, formalizing the creation of the joint research and innovation unit. Both centres will cooperate in areas such as the development and deployment of nature-based technological solutions and carbon stock management.
They will also work to enhance the resilience of Mediterranean ecosystems and promote the bioeconomy by developing economic opportunities aligned with climate resilience. Additionally, they will collaborate to innovate in environmental governance among different territorial actors, maximizing impact through tools such as living labs.
Examples of CREAF-Eurecat collaboration include the joint creation of an inventory of blue carbon in Catalonia to assess its inclusion in carbon offset mechanisms, and the development of the first voluntary carbon credit scheme to reduce methane emissions from rice fields in the Ebro Delta.
According to Xavier López, “the project is based on the complementarity of a CERCA centre like CREAF and the technology centre Eurecat, combining their capacities in science, technology, and innovation within a unique public-private framework in Catalonia, and in the context of climate resilience, aiming to generate critical impact from social, economic, and business perspectives.”
Joan Pino adds, “this collaboration allows us to bring innovation that is often difficult to achieve from purely scientific domains and to translate our research into practical solutions. For an ecology centre, this is always necessary and very important.”
Territorial climate resilience and the bioeconomy
The new joint unit will also strengthen applied research between Eurecat and CREAF and facilitate the transfer of technological solutions in biodiversity management and the development of ecosystem services at a landscape scale, as well as in territorial climate resilience and the bioeconomy.
Eurecat and CREAF are also founding members of the Climate Resilience Centre, together with key knowledge actors, foundations, public authorities, and businesses. This public-private initiative, created in 2021, focuses on climate change adaptation and mitigation, aiming to develop knowledge and technologies to address climate impacts, especially in vulnerable areas of Catalonia.
Strategic projects in climate adaptation and mitigation
Currently, Eurecat and CREAF are participating in several strategic climate adaptation and mitigation projects. Among them is the BlauCat project, funded by the Catalan Government Climate Fund, which aims to analyse the state of blue carbon in Catalonia’s coastal ecosystems. The goal is to evaluate their potential as CO₂ sinks and design conservation and restoration strategies, creating an inventory of blue carbon in Catalonia.
BlauCat also seeks to facilitate the inclusion of these ecosystems in carbon offset mechanisms and environmental policies. Data collection is currently underway across Catalonia’s coastal systems, including wetlands, lagoons, and algal beds.
Additionally, the two centres collaborate on the Bioresilmed project, funded by the Biodiversity Foundation and the European Union through Next Generation funds, aiming to promote the bioeconomy and climate resilience in Mediterranean landscapes, both coastal and inland, based on scientific knowledge and co-design with socio-economic actors.
Bioresilmed also seeks to curb biodiversity loss by implementing nature-based solutions to enhance ecosystem services while developing sustainable business models that generate green jobs.
