Information about Madrid & Barcelona

This year’s destinations are the cities Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. These two are not only the two largest cities in Spain, but they are also rich in culture and are a center of knowledge of biomedical engineering. Everybody knows about their food, dances, bullfights, and football clubs, but here is some more information about both cities!

Madrid:

Madrid is the capital and biggest city in Spain.

The symbol of the city

The symbol of Madrid is called ‘El Oso y El Madroño’, which can be translated to ‘The bear and the strawberry tree’. This symbol is on the coat of arms of Madrid and is one of the most famous statues of the city. The exact origin is not known, but here are some theories:

The bear: During the Roman period, Madrid was named Ursalia. In Latin, ursa means bear. 1212 is the first year it was noted that the Madrileños (people from Madrid) used a flag with a bear on it.

The strawberry tree: The tree came later on the flag (1222), after a dispute between the church and the city council. Both claimed the forest as their own, until the king decided that the church should take care of the animals in the forest and the city council of the                                                     trees. After that the tree was included in the symbol.

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC)

CNIC is the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research. This institute specializes in the cardiovascular system.

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)

Several universities are located in Madrid, but UPM stands out with its strong engineering, biomedical engineering, and architecture programs. They also collaborate with CNIC, for example.

Barcelona:

Barcelona is after Madrid the biggest city in Spain that …. with biomedical engineering. It has multiple places where biomedical engineerings companies come together.

Sagrada Família

One of the most famous basilica in the world and a symbol for Barcelona. The first stone for the magnificent building was laid down in 1882, almost 150 years ago! And they are still not done with the building. The basilica is so old, that old parts already have to be renovated again.

Still, this building is beautiful to look at from the outside and inside. We will definitely visit the Sagrada Familia when we are in Barcelona!

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)

A research institute specializing in regenerative medicine, nanomedicine, biophysics & mechanobiology, bioelectronics, biosensors & medical imaging. They have close ties with the University of Barcelona

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

UPF is a leading universityu in Barcelona, named after the Catalan humanist Pompeu Fabra. The university is known for its strond focus on research and innovation, with a special emphasis on biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and data analysis. UPF collaborates closely with research institues and hospitals in Barcelona, making it a key player in the development of biomedical technology.