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The story
Instituto Politécnico Superior (1968–1971)
The university traces its origins to the foundation of the Polytechnic Higher Institute in 1968, which was formed by the merger in Barcelona of the state technical schools of Architecture and Engineering established in the mid-19th century. The institute was presided over by industrial and aeronautical engineer Víctor de Buen Lozano.
Polytechnic University of Barcelona (1971–1983)
In March 1971 the Polytechnic University of Barcelona (UPB) was established, initially comprising:
the Superior Technical School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona (ETSEIB)
the Technical School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering of Terrassa (ETSEIT)
the Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB)
several affiliated research institutes
Its first rector was Víctor de Buen Lozano, former president of the Polytechnic Higher Institute. That same year saw the creation of the Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering of Barcelona (ETSETB) and the Institute of Educational Sciences (ICE-UPC).
In 1972 the University Schools of Technical Industrial Engineering at Terrassa (now the School of Engineering of Terrassa, EUETIT) and at Vilanova i la Geltrú (now EPSEVG), the University School of Technical Architecture of Barcelona (now EPSEB), and the University School of Technical Mining Engineering of Manresa (which that year was renamed Polytechnic University School of Manresa, EUPM, now EPSEM) were integrated into the UPB. That year also saw the establishment of the University Schools of Technical Agricultural Engineering at Girona and Lleida; Girona’s school soon became a full Polytechnic University School, and Lleida began offering first- and second-cycle courses. In December 1972 Gabriel Ferraté Pascual succeeded Víctor de Buen Lozano as rector.
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In 1974 the Technical School of Civil Engineering of Barcelona (ETSECCPB) opened. In March 1976 the Faculty of Informatics of Barcelona (FIB) was founded, and Julián Fernández Ferrer was elected rector, succeeding Gabriel Ferraté, who had been appointed Director General of Universities and Research in Madrid. Also in 1977 the University School of Optics (EUOOT) opened in Terrassa by ministerial order.
In 1978 Gabriel Ferraté was re-elected rector, serving until 1994. In 1979 the Technical School of Architecture of the Vallès (ETSAV) opened in the Sabadell-Terrassa area; it moved to Sant Cugat del Vallès in 1991.
Polytechnic University of Catalonia (1983–present)
On 4 July 1983 Spain’s University Reform Act (LRU 232/1985) paved the way for new statutes, and in 1984 the institution was officially renamed the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). On 19 December 1984 the Parliament of Catalonia established university coordination laws and social councils, appointing Pere Duran Farell as the first President of the UPC Social Council.
In 1990 the School of Civil Marine Engineering became the Faculty of Nautical Studies (FNB). In 1991 the Polytechnic University School of the Baix Llobregat opened (later EPSC in Castelldefels), and in 1992 the Faculty of Mathematics and Statistics (FME) was established; that year the UPC schools in Girona and Lleida joined the newly founded University of Girona and University of Lleida respectively.
In 1994 Gabriel Ferraté stepped down to become first rector of the Open University of Catalonia; Jaume Pagès i Fita succeeded him as rector and Xavier Llobet Colom became President of the Social Council. That year saw the founding of Edicions UPC and the Politècnica Foundation, and the opening of the School of Photography in Terrassa. In 1996 the Rector Gabriel Ferraté Library opened at the Diagonal Nord Campus. The UPC also began integrating two Barcelona provincial schools—EUETIB and EUETAB—into its system.
In 1998 the Multimedia School in Terrassa opened and later merged with the School of Photography to form the Centre for Image and Multimedia Technology (CITM). Expansion continued with new campuses in Manresa and Castelldefels, and the creation of the Barcelona Industrial School Consortium (CEIB). UPCnet, the university’s Internet service, launched the same year.
In 2000 the technology centres at Vilanova i la Geltrú and Manresa began operations. In September 2001 the first building of the Mediterranean Technology Park opened at Baix Llobregat, followed in October by the Barcelona Technology Park at Diagonal Sud. That year the Baix Llobregat School was renamed EPSC and in 2010 became the School of Telecommunications and Aerospace Engineering of Castelldefels (EETAC).
In 2002 Josep Ferrer Llop was elected rector under a universal weighted suffrage system, and Joaquim Molins became President of the Social Council. On 12 February 2003 the Parliament of Catalonia approved the Universities Law (LUC), and in May the UPC Senate ratified new statutes. A collaboration agreement with the Department of Universities, Research and Information Society (DURSI) initiated curricula adaptation to the European Higher Education Area from 2004. In 2003 the Centre for Interdisciplinary Higher Education (CFIS) was founded at the Diagonal Sud Campus.
In 2004 UPC hosted the first International Conference on Higher Education organised by the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI), subsequently held biennially. In January 2005 the second phase of the Omega Building opened at Diagonal Nord, and the MareNostrum supercomputer was installed in the Torre Girona chapel, co-managed by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, UPC, the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, and DURSI. Meanwhile, the Baix Llobregat campus opened new facilities for EUETAB and the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), and Manresa inaugurated a combined university library. In Villanova i la Geltrú the city council granted space in the Neàpolis building for the technology centre and EPSEVG, while ETSAV opened its Technology Transfer Centre (CRITT).
2006–2010
In March 2006, Professor Antoni Giró Roca was elected rector, which brought forth the adoption of the European Higher Education Area and the launch of the “Horizon 2010” Research and Innovation Plan. Over the next five years the UPC:
Approved its first EHEA-adapted master’s programmes (academic year 2006–07).
Launched the online newsletter e-informacions and relaunched its print magazine Informacions (2007).
Fully integrated the Barcelona School of Agricultural Engineering (2008) and upgraded its North Campus façades along Carrer Jordi Girona.
Opened its Brussels office to strengthen ties with the European Commission (2009).
Laid the foundation stone for the Diagonal-Besòs Campus (December 2009).
Founded the Innovation and Technology Centre (CIT UPC) (2010), inaugurated the Agrópolis agri-food hub in Viladecans (2010), assumed the presidency of the Vives University Network, and saw the Castelldefels School of Technology renamed EETAC.
2011–present
Since 2011 the UPC has continued expanding its research infrastructure, global partnerships, and campus life:
2011: Inauguration of the Nanoengineering Research Centre (CRNE) on the Barcelona Knowledge Campus.
2013–2015: Opening of the K2M Building and ICFO facilities, and Barcelona Knowledge Campus’s designation as an International Campus of Excellence.
2023: Installation and inauguration of MareNostrum 5 at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, reinforcing the UPC’s leadership in high-performance computing.
2024: Approval of the new UPC Statutes under the European university alliance UNITE!
2025: Presentation of IRIS, the UPC’s new Research and Innovation in Health Institute.
From Wikipedia’s article on Polytechnic University of Catalonia, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4