FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE BIOENGINYERIA DE CATALUNYA

Their core work

IBEC is a Barcelona-based bioengineering research institute that develops engineered biological systems — from organ-on-chip platforms and 3D bioprinted tissues to nanomedicine delivery systems and biosensors. Their core work sits at the intersection of engineering, physics, and biology: they use tools like atomic force microscopy, hydrogels, and optogenetics to understand and manipulate how cells respond to mechanical forces. They build functional tissue models (kidney, intestinal, brain) for drug testing and disease research, and design targeted nanomaterials for therapies including cancer treatment and drug-resistant tuberculosis.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 period (2015–2018), IBEC balanced computational neuroscience contributions — particularly through the Human Brain Project with keywords like simulation, HPC, neuroinformatics, and neuromorphic computing — alongside foundational work in nanomedicine and chemical biology. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward mechanobiology, biomechanics, and tissue engineering, with keywords like mechanotransduction, biomaterials, atomic force microscopy, and mechanical phenotyping dominating. The neuroscience and HPC work faded as IBEC concentrated on becoming a mechanobiology and biofabrication powerhouse.

IBEC is consolidating around mechanobiology-driven tissue models and biomechanical diagnostics, making them an ideal partner for projects connecting physical forces to disease mechanisms or organ-on-chip applications.

How they like to work

IBEC leads more often than it follows — 26 of 48 projects as coordinator (54%), which is exceptionally high for a research centre of this size. They operate comfortably in both large flagship consortia (Human Brain Project, 100+ partners) and focused ERC/MSCA grants where they are the sole PI. With 320 unique consortium partners across 28 countries, they function as a well-connected hub rather than a loyal-partner institute, suggesting they are easy to approach and experienced in managing diverse collaborations.

IBEC has collaborated with 320 distinct organizations across 28 countries, giving them one of the broader networks among Spanish research centres. Their partnerships span from large EU infrastructure projects to bilateral Marie Curie fellowships, with strong ties across Western Europe.

What sets them apart

IBEC occupies a rare niche where physics and engineering meet living biology — they don't just study cells, they measure, manipulate, and build with them using tools from materials science and nanotechnology. Their dual strength in mechanobiology (understanding forces in disease) and biofabrication (building functional tissue models) means they can take a problem from fundamental discovery through to a working prototype. For consortium builders, their 54% coordination rate and 320-partner network signal an institute that knows how to run projects, not just contribute to them.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MECHANO-CONTROL
  Flagship ERC Consolidator grant (EUR 1.95M) that defines IBEC's core identity in mechanobiology — studying how mechanical forces control biological function using AFM, hydrogels, and traction force microscopy.
• COMIET
  EUR 2M ERC Starting grant on engineering complex intestinal tissue models, representing IBEC's ambition to build functional organ replicas for drug testing and disease modeling.
• BRIGHTER
  Pioneered light-sheet lithography for high-speed, high-resolution bioprinting of complex tissues including skin models — a technique with direct commercial potential in regenerative medicine.