The BIST Forum is an annual event organized by the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), bringing together leaders from research, policy, innovation, and industry. The 2026 edition, held on March 6 at CosmoCaixa in Barcelona, featured institutional openings, keynote speeches, round tables, community impact highlights, award announcements, and networking.
Key topics included conditions for frontier research to shape new industries, with highlights from the BIST community on AI tools for materials, biomarkers for breast cancer, and mobile testing units for decarbonization. It also addressed closing the gender gap in science through the Mothers of Science Award and presented BIST Ignite Awards.
Featured speakers included Nadia Calviño (President of the European Investment Bank), Maria Eugènia Gay (Deputy Mayor of Barcelona), and representatives from Catalan and Spanish governments, along with BIST researchers and industry leaders. Attendance was by invitation.
