Pompeu Fabra University

What Pompeu Fabra University does

Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is a public research university founded in 1990 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, operating across four main sites — the Ciutadella campus (humanities, law, economics, political sciences, communication), the Poblenou campus (engineering, communication, in Barcelona's 22@ district), the Mar campus (Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, co-located within the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park/PRBB), and the Mercè building headquarters. UPF delivers 29 bachelor's degrees, 35 university master's programs, and 9 doctoral programs in health sciences, social sciences, communication, law, economics, humanities, engineering, and translation, with 75% of theses defended in English and 74 degree programs offered in English.

The university is structured around research-intensive departments and 100+ research groups, supported by María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence accreditations for the Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC) and the Department of Health and Life Sciences (DCEXS). It hosts 57 ICREA research professors, has secured 39 ERC grants (including €7.2M from three ERC Advanced Grants in 2025) and €46.3M from Horizon 2020, and operates a technology transfer pipeline (UPF Ventures) that created four spin-off companies in 2024, including FORESEE MedTech, Integra Therapeutics, and NoctuRNA Therapeutics.

UPF's business model rests on three pillars: (1) regulated public tuition fees from undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students, supplemented by 2,415 annual exchange students from 50 countries across 390+ international agreements; (2) competitive research grants and contracts (ERC, Horizon Europe, ICREA, AGAUR, corporate contracts totaling €3.22M in 2024); and (3) technology transfer and licensing (€249K in 2024) via spin-offs and IP commercialization. Student-to-corporate pipeline runs through 1,330 internship partner companies. The university is governed as part of the Catalan public university system, funded primarily by the Government of Catalonia with co-funding from the Government of Spain, and operates subsidiaries including UPF Barcelona School of Management, ESCI-UPF, UPF Ventures, and Tecnocampus.

Name

Pompeu Fabra University

Legal name

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Website

https://upf.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Pompeu Fabra University is a public research university in Barcelona offering 29 bachelor's, 35 master's, and 9 doctoral programs across health, social sciences, communication, law, economics, humanities, engineering, and translation, funded by the Catalan government and competitive research grants, and serving students, exchange scholars, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Public research university
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate doctoral programs
• International exchange programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public University Funding: UPF is a public university funded primarily by the Catalan and Spanish governments, with institutional support for research and education activities.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: UPF generates revenue through competitive research grants (ERC, Horizon 2020), contracts with companies and entities, and public funding for knowledge valorization. In 2024: 249,000 euros revenue through licenses, 2.35M euros public funding for knowledge valorization, 3.22M euros contracting with companies.
3. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition for various degree programs, including undergraduate, master's, and doctoral studies, with fees set by Spanish and Catalan government regulations.
4. Technology Transfer and Spin-offs: UPF generates revenue through technology transfer, spin-off companies created from university research, and licensing of technologies. Four companies were created in 2024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is a publicly funded research university that delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs across disciplines including life and health sciences, political and social sciences, communication, law, economics and business, humanities, engineering, and translation. The university combines degree education with a research-intensive mission operating 100+ specialized research groups across biomedicine, ICT, social sciences, and humanities, alongside technology transfer through spin-off companies and industry research collaborations. UPF delivers its educational programs across three Barcelona campuses (Ciutadella, Poblenou, Mar) with significant international mobility and exchange components.

Product overview

Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is a public research university offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research services. The university provides 29 bachelor's degrees across disciplines including life and health sciences, political and social sciences, communication, law, economics and business, humanities, engineering, and translation and language sciences. It offers 35 master's programs and 9 doctoral programs. UPF also provides cross-disciplinary programs including the Open Bachelor's Degree, minors, and continuing education through UPF Senior for people over 50. The university's research infrastructure includes specialized research groups, spin-off companies, and technology transfer services. The institution operates across multiple campuses in Barcelona (Ciutadella, Poblenou, and Mar) and is part of networks including Eutopia, The Guild, and the 4 Universities Alliance (A4U).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UPF Barcelona School of Management: The business school division of UPF offering master's programs in management and business education.
• EDvolució
• UPF Senior
• Campus Júnior

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs 29 undergraduate degree programs spanning life and health sciences, political and social sciences, communication, law, economics and business, humanities, engineering, and translation and language sciences, delivered on-campus to degree-seeking undergraduate students.
• Master's Degree Programs 35 university master's degree programs across health and life sciences, economic and business sciences, political and social sciences, communication, law, education, humanities, history, interdisciplinary areas, ICT, and translation and language sciences.
• Doctoral Programs 9 PhD programs in biomedicine, economics/finance/management, political and social sciences, communication, law, history, humanities, ICT, and translation and language sciences, with 75% of theses defended in English.
• Open Bachelor's Degree (Grau Obert) A first-year undergraduate program that allows students to sample subjects from different bachelor's degrees before committing to a specialization, serving prospective university students evaluating degree options.
• UPF Senior University studies program for people aged 50 and over, offering more than 180 subjects organized termly for lifelong learners, with the option to share classrooms with undergraduate students.
• Campus Júnior Summer program for secondary and high school students exploring university-level academic disciplines, providing pre-university academic preparation.
• Barcelona International Summer School (BISS) Summer program of interdisciplinary courses for university students from around the world, offered as a short-term academic experience at UPF's Barcelona campuses.
• Research Groups and Services More than 100 research groups across UPF departments providing contracted research services, R&D collaboration opportunities, and technology transfer to businesses, institutions, and public agencies.
• UPF Spin-offs and Startups (Technology Transfer Portfolio) Companies founded based on UPF research, including Integra Therapeutics (genetic engineering), NoctuRNA Therapeutics (antiviral drugs), BMAT Music Innovation, and FORESEE MedTech, commercializing UPF intellectual property across biotech, medical devices, music technology, and AI domains.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of UPF graduates would choose the same university again
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and regional.

• EUTOPIA AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUTOPIA is a European University Alliance co-founded by UPF and other European universities to create an interuniversity campus without borders. The alliance enables student and staff mobility, joint programs, and collaborative research across Europe.
• The Guild of European Research-Intensive UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild unites Europe's leading research-intensive universities to influence EU research and innovation policies. UPF participates actively in shaping European higher education and research agendas.
• Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIST is a consortium of seven Catalan research institutions supporting the Antic Mercat del Peix project. UPF collaborates with BIST-initiated centers for advanced research in biomedicine and life sciences.
• Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRBB is one of southern Europe's largest biomedical research hubs, physically connected to Hospital del Mar. UPF's Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences is located within PRBB, enabling close research collaboration.
• Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE CSIC-UPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBE is a joint institute of CSIC and UPF focusing on evolutionary biology research. It is a key partner in the Antic Mercat del Peix project and is involved in biodiversity research initiatives.
• Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (Barcelona GSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated by UPF's Department of Economics together with IAE-CSIC and UAB, Barcelona GSE is ranked among top 8 international research centers in Spain with Severo Ochoa accreditation.
• Alianza 4 Universidades (A4U)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of four public universities in Madrid and Barcelona (UPF, UAB, UAM, UCM) offering joint degrees including Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).
• Associació Catalana d'Universitats Públiques (ACUP)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalan public universities association for collaboration on shared higher education initiatives in Catalonia.
• International Partner Universities (390+ agreements)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPF has international collaboration agreements with 390+ universities worldwide, including 28 universities ranked in Top 50 (THE). These agreements enable student exchanges, joint research, and double degree programs.
• Pasqual Maragall FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation contributing to the Antic Mercat del Peix project and collaborating on biomedical research, particularly in Barcelona's scientific ecosystem.
• University of Barcelona (UB)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Citadel of Knowledge initiative and Antic Mercat del Peix project, collaborating on urban knowledge hub development in Barcelona.
• Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Citadel of Knowledge initiative and Barcelona GSE. Collaborates on joint research initiatives and Barcelona's scientific community.
• Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpain's largest public research institution, partnering with UPF through IBE institute, Antic Mercat del Peix project, and various joint research initiatives.
• Barcelona City CouncilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional supporter of the Citadel of Knowledge and Antic Mercat del Peix project, providing urban development support for Barcelona's knowledge hub.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Universitat de Barcelona (UB): UB is the historic public research university in Barcelona and UPF's primary regional peer. Both are public, Barcelona-based, multi-campus institutions offering full degree and doctoral portfolios; UB is larger and older, UPF is younger and more international.
• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB): UAB is a Catalan public research university and partner in the A4U alliance and Barcelona GSE with UPF. It competes for the same pool of regional talent and research funding while offering a broader, more traditional multi-campus portfolio.
• Universitat de Girona (UdG): UdG is a smaller Catalan public university within the same ACUP system as UPF. It competes for regional students and research funding but at a smaller scale and with less international orientation than UPF.

Direct peers

• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M): UC3M is a young Spanish public research university with a similar internationalization and research-intensity profile to UPF. Both rank highly in THE young-university lists and compete for Spanish and international talent.
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC): UPC is a Barcelona public research university with strong engineering and ICT programs that overlap with UPF's engineering school and ICT research groups. Both compete for STEM students and Spanish/EU research funding in Barcelona.

Broad incumbents

• IE University: IE is a private Spanish university with a strong international and English-language positioning that competes with UPF for international students, particularly in master's and business programs. Both emphasize global outlook and career outcomes but IE can flex pricing and marketing spend.
• ESADE Business School: ESADE is a Barcelona-based private institution with strong international rankings. It competes with UPF Barcelona School of Management for graduate students and corporate partnerships, and operates in the same Barcelona higher-education ecosystem.
• Bocconi University: Bocconi is a private European research university with a comparable international-outlook and economics/business positioning to UPF. It is a benchmark for European universities that combine research intensity with strong international master's and undergraduate demand.
• Sciences Po: Sciences Po is a French public research institution with strong international rankings and a similar emphasis on social sciences, law, and political science that overlaps with UPF's social sciences and law departments. It competes with UPF for European international master's students.

Others

• Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona School of Management (UPF BSM): UPF BSM is UPF's wholly-owned business school subsidiary. Listed as an ecosystem participant because it is part of the UPF Group rather than an external peer; it represents UPF's commercial vehicle for management education and competes with private business schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/upfbarcelona
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UPF
• Facebookfacebook.com/UPFBarcelona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/edu/universitat-pompeu-fabra-12262
• Instagraminstagram.com/upfbarcelona
• TikToktiktok.com/@upfbarcelona

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pompeu Fabra University