INSTITUT CATALA D'ONCOLOGIA

Their core work

ICO is a specialized cancer research and treatment centre based near Barcelona, focused on oncology across the full spectrum — from preclinical xenograft models to population-level screening programmes and tobacco control policy. They contribute clinical expertise and epidemiological capacity to large European cancer research consortia, particularly in lung cancer screening, cervical cancer risk stratification, and genomic diagnostics. Their work bridges laboratory oncology with public health, making them a valuable partner for projects that need both clinical trial infrastructure and health policy insight.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 participation (2015–2018), ICO focused on preclinical infrastructure (xenograft biobanks, translational oncology) and established their tobacco control research line through TackSHS and EUREST-PLUS. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward population-level cancer screening (lung, cervical), genomic diagnostics (NGS, liquid biopsies), and data harmonisation for cancer genomics. This evolution shows a clear move from laboratory-scale and infrastructure work toward large-scale, data-driven personalised cancer prevention.

ICO is moving toward data-intensive, population-scale cancer prevention — expect future work in AI-assisted screening, genomic risk models, and digital health applications in oncology.

How they like to work

ICO operates primarily as a specialist partner in large consortia (11 of 14 projects as participant), contributing clinical and epidemiological expertise rather than leading project management. They have coordinated two projects — TackSHS and AngioResist — both in their core domains of tobacco control and cancer biomarkers, suggesting they lead when the topic closely matches their institutional strengths. With 169 unique partners across 28 countries, they are well-networked across European cancer research and comfortable working in large, multi-country consortia.

ICO has collaborated with 169 distinct partners across 28 countries, indicating a broad and well-established European network in cancer research and public health. Their partnerships span from clinical centres to data infrastructure providers, with additional reach into South America through the HEADSpAcE project.

What sets them apart

ICO combines clinical oncology with public health and policy research in a way few cancer centres do — they can contribute to a consortium on both the molecular diagnostics side and the population screening or tobacco regulation side. Their sustained work across tobacco control, cancer screening, and genomics means they bring continuity and institutional memory to these fields. For consortium builders, ICO offers a Spanish clinical research node with strong connections to pan-European cancer networks and a track record in both RIA and PCP funding schemes.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TackSHS
  ICO's largest coordinated project (EUR 600K), addressing secondhand tobacco smoke and e-cigarette emissions — demonstrating their leadership in tobacco control policy research.
• 4-IN THE LUNG RUN
  Their most recent large participation (EUR 327K), focused on individualised lung cancer screening — represents their strategic shift toward personalised prevention.
• EUCANCan
  A federated cancer genomics infrastructure project that positions ICO within the European cancer data harmonisation ecosystem, critical for future precision oncology.