The Polytechnic University of Catalonia (, , Spanish: Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, UPC), currently referred to as BarcelonaTech, is one of the largest polytechnic universities in Spain. The majority of its Engineering Schools and Research facilities are consistently ranked as leading academic institutions in their fields in Europe.

It was established in 1971 as a result of different higher technical schools founded in the 18th century merging together. Those schools include Industrial Engineers of Barcelona (ETSEIB) and Terrassa (ETSEIAT), the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB) and some research institutes.

it has 18 schools in Catalonia located in the cities of Barcelona, Castelldefels, Manresa, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Terrassa, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. As of the academic year 2024–25, the UPC has over 30,000 students and over 3,000 teaching and research staff, 67 undergraduate programs, 96 graduate programs and 46 doctorate programs.

UPC is a member of the Top Industrial Managers for Europe network, which allows for student exchanges between leading European engineering schools. It is also a member of several university federations, including the Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESAER) and UNITECH. UPC is also a parent institution of the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI).

Rankings

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) is a public university in Spain. In the 2025 QS World University Rankings by subject, it was ranked 97th worldwide in Engineering and Technology. Other rankings, such as EduRank, rank UPC as the best engineering university in Spain.

The QS World University Rankings also place UPC among the world's top 50 universities in disciplines such as architecture, civil engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, telecommunications engineering, instruments science and technology, and remote sensing.

According to the annual university ranking conducted by El Mundo, UPC is ranked first in Spain in fields such as civil engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering.

History

thumb|left|Old School of Industrial Engineers of Barcelona, housed in the former Convent of Sant Sebastià until its relocation in 1873; demolished in 1910 to make way for the [[Via Laietana.]]

Instituto Politécnico Superior (1968–1971)

The university traces its origins to the foundation of the Polytechnic Higher Institute in 1968, which was formed by the merger in Barcelona of the state technical schools of Architecture and Engineering established in the mid-19th century. The institute was presided over by industrial and aeronautical engineer Víctor de Buen Lozano.

Polytechnic University of Barcelona (1971–1983)

In March 1971 the Polytechnic University of Barcelona (UPB) was established, initially comprising:

  • the Superior Technical School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona (ETSEIB)
  • the Technical School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering of Terrassa (ETSEIT)
  • the Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB)
  • several affiliated research institutes Also in 1977 the University School of Optics (EUOOT) opened in Terrassa by ministerial order.

In 1978 Gabriel Ferraté was re-elected rector, serving until 1994. In 1979 the Technical School of Architecture of the Vallès (ETSAV) opened in the Sabadell-Terrassa area; it moved to Sant Cugat del Vallès in 1991.

Previous winners include:

  • 2007: Brandon Sanderson, Defending Elysium; and Carlos Gardini d'Angelo, Belcebú en llamas
  • 2008: Eduardo Gallego Arjona and Guillem Sánchez Gómez, La cosecha del centauro
  • 2009: Roberto Sanhueza, Bis
  • 2010: José Miguel Sánchez Gómez (Yoss), Super extra grande
  • 2012: Miguel Santander, La epopeya de los amantes
  • 2014: Roberto Sanhueza, El año del gato

See also

  • Barcelona Supercomputing Center
  • List of universities in Spain
  • MareNostrum
  • Vives Network

Notes and references

  • Official website