Scientific report 2021

Last year I closed this writing with a message of confidence in the valuable work being carried out by the entire team of the Institut d'Investigació i Innovación Parc Taulí (I3PT) to achieve the recognition of our institution as a center CERCA The results of our research, innovation and teaching activity, our track record and experience and, especially, the commitment, attitude and talent of the professionals who make up the Institute predicted very positive results. Well, this 2021 we can celebrate that we have achieved this recognition pursued with such tenacity and determination.

This milestone places us among the elite of research centers in Catalonia. To be a CERCA institution means to have achieved one structural recognition i access to resources which will allow us to develop priority projects and start new ones. With this seal, the Institute will maximize synergies with other centers, strengthen strategic collaborations with key players in the ecosystem, and improve its positioning and visibility in the international research landscape. This will be a lever to increase the impact of our research and, ultimately, for improve people's health and well-being i make knowledge available to society in which we live

The presentation of this scientific report is an exercise in transparency to disseminate in an orderly manner the results and the main milestones achieved by the I3PT. In this edition we explain that, despite the fact that the pandemic has continued to strongly condition the activity of this 2021, the sustained growth of the Institute has been a reality. The data and indicators show the progress the Institute has experienced this year. I would like to emphasize that for the first time the 500 scientific publications have been exceeded and it is achieved an impact factor of 3.924 points, which represents an increase of more than 1.400 points compared to the previous year. It is also worth underlining the historical results of the clinical trial activity, both the 71 carried out at Parc Taulí, and the 88 external trials that have been evaluated by our Medicines Research Ethics Committee (CEIm) . This volume of activity has placed the CEIM del Parc Taulí com the 4th of Spain, according to the ranking of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products.

Despite the difficulties associated with the pandemic, the team of professionals has devoted efforts to bringing science closer to citizens, –through the organization of seminars and scientific conferences and participation in numerous outreach events–, and forge alliances with industry -with the development of innovative and collaborative projects that reinforce our role as an engine of progress in society. In this line, thanks to our involvement with the industrial fabric of the country, and thanks to the experience acquired during these years, which has positioned the Parc Taulí innovation model as a benchmark in the State, we have been appointed coordinators of the Platform for Dynamization and Innovation of the industrial capacities of the National Health System and its effective transfer to the productive sector (ITEMS) from January 2021 and for a period of 3 years. This is news of great significance for our institution, which is positioned as one key actor to contribute to the growth and dynamism of the State's industrial sector from the field of health.

In short, this 2021, despite the circumstances caused by the pandemic, the collective of people who make up the I3PT has done exemplary work that has led us to reaching key milestones for the history of our institution. I also want to extend my thanks to our governing bodies, whose support has been fundamental in meeting these challenges. As director of the Institute, I conclude these lines by conveying the firm commitment to continue working for the Institute's challenges, which, ultimately, are to research and innovate in health to promote growth and its transfer to society.