DEPARTAMENT DE SALUT - GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA

Their core work

The Department of Health of the Catalan Government is the regional public health authority responsible for health policy, healthcare system planning, and public health programmes across Catalonia. In EU research, they contribute policy expertise and real-world implementation capacity for health initiatives, particularly in personalised medicine coordination and social prescribing. They serve as a bridge between research outcomes and regional health policy deployment, connecting funding agencies with clinical research organisations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2017) centred on supporting clinical research excellence — training clinician-scientists and building biomedical career pathways (BITRECS). By 2021, the focus shifted decisively toward public health innovation, particularly nature-based solutions, social prescribing, and community mental wellbeing (RECETAS). Throughout, the ERA PerMed project bridged both periods, reflecting a consistent role in coordinating research funding and aligning health research organisations across borders.

Moving from supporting traditional biomedical research infrastructure toward preventive, community-based health approaches — expect future interest in digital health, green health, and health equity projects.

How they like to work

They never coordinate — they participate as partners or third parties, contributing policy expertise and implementation capacity rather than scientific leadership. With 64 unique partners across 30 countries from just 3 projects, they join large, broad consortia, which is typical for a public authority that provides regulatory context and real-world deployment pathways. This makes them a reliable consortium member for projects needing a regional health authority's endorsement and implementation reach.

Despite only 3 projects, they have connected with 64 partners across 30 countries — a remarkably wide network driven by the large ERA-NET and RIA consortia they joined. Their reach is pan-European with no visible geographic concentration beyond their Catalan base.

What sets them apart

As a regional government health department, they offer something most research partners cannot: direct authority over health policy implementation in a region of 7.5 million people. For consortium builders, having Catalonia's health authority as a partner signals real-world policy uptake and access to the Spanish healthcare system. They are not a research lab — they are where research results meet actual health policy decisions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ERA PerMed
  Their largest funded project (EUR 224,812), an ERA-NET Cofund coordinating transnational calls in personalised medicine — positions them at the intersection of funding policy and clinical research.
• RECETAS
  Their most recent project (2021-2026) on social prescribing and nature-based solutions represents a strategic pivot toward preventive community health, a growing EU priority.