Universitat Autònoma

What Universitat Autònoma does

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is a public research university founded in 1968, headquartered on a campus in Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, near Barcelona, Spain. It delivers undergraduate degrees, master's programs, doctoral training, and continuing education across multiple faculties and research institutes, serving more than 5,001–10,000 employees and a distributed student body that includes a significant international cohort supported by 4,500 annual exchange placements.

UAB's core activities span teaching, scientific research, and knowledge transfer. Its research portfolio emphasizes brain-inspired computing (ERC Advanced Grant-funded GLASSPIKE project on ultrastable organic glasses), quantum technologies (entanglement-assisted quantum learning reducing simulation gate counts by ~200x), LEO satellite navigation (frameworks improving position accuracy by 15%+), biomedical sciences (Sirtuin 7 epigenetic research published in Nature Communications), and environmental sciences (ICTA-UAB, holding María de Maeztu excellence accreditation). Commercialized offerings include UAB Barcelona Summer School, MOOC UAB online courses, Scientific and Technical Services for external research users, and PIUNE inclusion services.

UAB operates as a publicly funded institution under Spain's LOSU framework, with the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Spanish national government as primary funders and tuition fees set by the Catalan government. Revenue is augmented by competitive research grants (including ERC), technology transfer and patent licensing (notably the s-KL protein patent licensed to Klotho Neurosciences), and international programs. The university participates in ECIU University, Xarxa Vives, EUA, and Aliança 4 Universitats alliances, and is ranked #211 in QS 2027, #183 in THE 2026, and #137 in UI GreenMetric 2025.

Name

Universitat Autònoma

Legal name

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Website

https://uab.cat

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona is a public research university founded in 1968 near Barcelona, Spain, delivering undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and continuing education programs alongside funded research in quantum computing, biomedicine, and environmental sciences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Student Academic & Personal Support (case management, referrals) (EDALANAE)

Keywords

• Higher education
• University research
• Scientific research
• Academic programs
• Knowledge transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UAB is a public university that delivers undergraduate (Graus), master's, doctoral, and continuing education programs across multiple faculties and schools. It also conducts scientific research through institutes and departments and provides specialized research support via its Scientific and Technical Services. The university offers inclusive student support (e.g., PIUNE), international mobility, and online learning through MOOC UAB and the UAB Barcelona Summer School.

Product overview

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona operates as a comprehensive public university offering a broad portfolio of educational services and research capabilities. The institution provides undergraduate degrees, master's programs, doctoral programs, and specialized educational offerings including the UAB Barcelona Summer School and MOOC UAB online courses. Research infrastructure is supported through Scientific and Technical Services, while student support is delivered via services like PIUNE for inclusion and accessibility. The university functions as a platform delivering academic programs across multiple faculties and schools, with international exchange and mobility programs enhancing its educational ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (Graus) Bachelor's degree programs offered across multiple UAB faculties and schools, spanning sciences, humanities, social sciences, engineering, and medicine. Aimed at prospective undergraduate students seeking a campus-based higher education experience in Catalonia.
• Master's and Postgraduate Programs
• Doctoral Programs (Doctorats)
• UAB Barcelona Summer School
• MOOC UAB
• Scientific and Technical Services
• PIUNE — Servei per a la Inclusió

Quantifiable outcome

• 15%+ improvement in 3D position accuracy with LEO satellite navigation framework
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Barcelona (UB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Co-organizers of POLLEN 2026 international political ecology conference scheduled for June 29 to July 3, 2026 in Barcelona. Conference expected to draw more than 1,500 researchers, activists, and civil society representatives to analyze contemporary crises and explore pathways toward fairer alternatives.
• ECIU University (European Consortium of Innovative Universities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean university alliance facilitating student mobility, collaborative research, and innovative educational approaches among leading European universities.
• Xarxa Vives d'UniversitatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Catalan, Balearic, and Valencia universities promoting academic collaboration, student mobility, and cultural exchange in the Catalan-speaking regions.
• European University Association (EUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean university network representing and supporting universities to contribute to European policy development and foster knowledge exchange.
• Aliança 4 UniversitatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of four Spanish universities (UAB, UAM, UC3M, UPF) promoting collaboration in research, teaching, and institutional development.
• Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership on Sirtuin 7 protein discovery revealing critical epigenetic guardian function in male germ cells during aging, published in Nature Communications.
• Rutgers UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on Sirtuin 7 protein study published in Nature Communications addressing male reproductive aging and potential therapeutic approaches.
• Technische Universität DarmstadtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on defect-aware synthesis approach for FPGAs with memristor-based configuration memory, addressing high defect rates in manufacturing.
• Wits UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative review article published in Nature Photonics on quantum light engineering for next-generation communication, sensing, and imaging technologies.
• ICREAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on entanglement-assisted quantum learning strategy for QGANs that dramatically improves quantum Hamiltonian simulation performance.
• Tampere UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerComparative analysis evaluating LEO satellite systems as enhancement to existing GNSS for positioning accuracy, published in satellite navigation research.
• Klotho NeurosciencescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing of UAB's s-KL protein patent to Klotho Neurosciences for therapeutic applications covering motor impairment treatments, neuronal cells, stem cells, and delivery systems. IP Australia granted 18 claims for the patent.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IE University: IE University is a top-tier Spanish private university with strong business, law, and tech programs and a global brand. Competes directly with UAB for top international master's students, faculty, and global rankings positioning despite its private/non-profit status.
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid: Universidad Complutense de Madrid is Spain's largest public university and a leading research institution with a comprehensive faculty profile. Comparable scale and scope to UAB as a major Spanish comprehensive public research university competing for top faculty and research funding.
• University of Manchester: University of Manchester is a leading UK public research university ranked globally in UAB's tier with very large international enrollment. Comparable as a major comprehensive European public research university with strong STEM research output and similar scale (10,000+ employees, multi-faculty structure).
• University of Navarra: University of Navarra is a leading Spanish private university with strong professional schools (IESE, IESE business). Comparable as a top Spanish institution competing for top students, research grants, and international faculty against UAB.

Direct peers

• Lund University: Lund University is a top-tier Swedish public research university ranked in QS top-100 globally with strong international student mobility. Comparable to UAB as a leading European public research university with similar research-output intensity and English-taught program scale.
• Universitat de València: Universitat de València is a leading regional Spanish public research university with broad disciplinary coverage and significant research output. Comparable as a peer public Spanish research university of similar scale competing for national research funding and international students.
• Universitat de Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona is the other major public research university in Barcelona, offering comprehensive undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs across similar disciplines. Directly comparable to UAB in scope, research footprint, and target student segments, and co-organizes academic events (e.g., POLLEN 2026) with UAB.
• Universitat Pompeu Fabra: Universitat Pompeu Fabra is a Barcelona-based public research university and core Aliança 4 Universitats partner. Directly comparable to UAB as a peer Spanish public research university in the same metropolitan market with overlapping degree offerings.
• Universidad Autónoma de Madrid: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid is a name-sharing Spanish public research university with comparable scale, ranking tier, and research emphasis. Direct peer as an Aliança 4 Universitats partner and the only other 'Autónoma'-named public university in Spain.

Regional players

• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya is Barcelona's leading technical public university with strong engineering and architecture programs. Comparable in scale and location to UAB, serving overlapping prospective students in the Barcelona metro, with a narrower STEM/engineering focus versus UAB's broader disciplinary spread.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UABBarcelona
• YouTubeyoutube.com/uabbarcelona
• Facebookfacebook.com/uabbarcelona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uabbarcelona
• Instagraminstagram.com/uabbarcelona
• TikToktiktok.com/@uabbarcelona

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Universitat Autònoma