The Abertis Foundation and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, or UAB for short) have set up a Campus for Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves at the UAB. The new campus is attached to the UNESCO International Centre on Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves based at Castellet Castle (Barcelona), which is in turn the headquarters of the Abertis Foundation. These new synergies stem from the desire to create a forum for research, information, awareness and innovation within the realm of Mediterranean Biospheres Reserves.
The agreement was signed by Salvador Alemany, chairman of Abertis and of the Abertis Foundation, and by Margarita Arboix, president of the UAB, and envisages close collaboration between both institutions in developing projects relating to reserves and organising research and training activities related to the degree in environmental sciences and the master’s degree in environmental, economic and social sustainability. The agreement also contemplates academic events and presentations of end-of-course theses, and seeks to facilitate the exchange of students between different universities from Mediterranean countries.
The UNESCO International Centre based at Castellet (Barcelona) has been tasked with coordinating the Network of Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves, which, comprising sixty reserves across no less than fifteen different Mediterranean countries, aims to establish and promote dialogue, cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and experiences between these protected spaces.
26 November 2025
•This new agreement between Abertis Foundation and the Spanish National Parks Agency (OAPN in its Spanish acronym)—a Spanish public body under the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO)—ensures the continued operation of the UNESCO-endorsed International Centre. The renewed partnership strengthens cooperation and knowledge exchange among Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves.
•The agreement aims to foster research initiatives, training programmes, pilot projects and outreach activities that advance the sustainability of Mediterranean ecosystems and enhance the resilience of biosphere reserves in the face of climate change.
•The renewal consolidates the role of the Abertis Foundation's headquarters at Castellet Castle as a leading hub for biosphere reserve activities, both within the Mediterranean region and internationally.
23 September 2025
•El congreso, que se celebra en Hangzhou (China) del 22 al 26 de septiembre, ha reunido a la Red Mundial de Reservas de la Biosfera -entre las que se incluye la MedMAB apoyada por Fundación Abertis- para consolidar prioridades, reforzar la colaboración y definir el Plan de Acción Mundial para el futuro.
