Publication for UPC doctoral candidates

July 30th, 2026. No. 16

From UPC and CIM UPC, we are pleased to announce the opening of the registration period for the fifth edition of the Industrial Tech pre-acceleration program, which will take place between September and December 2026.

This support program for entrepreneurial projects, part of the PRIMER Program of the Department of Business and Labour of the Generalitat de Catalunya, promotes innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives in the Industrial Tech field, aiming to transform innovative hardware-based ideas and solutions into projects with a real impact on the industrial sector.

Over nearly three months, the program offers 52 hours of specialized technical training (additive manufacturing, robotics, Industry 4.0, IoT, prototyping…), 40 hours of business management and development training, and personalized support in the form of technical, sector-specific, and entrepreneurial mentorship.

The program is free of charge and open to everyone. It is aimed at researchers, entrepreneurs, and any individual or team with an innovative and scalable business idea in the industrial and technological field, whether or not they are linked to the UPC community.

Registration open until September 4th
For any inquiries: empren@upc.edu

On July 9, 2026, the UPC Governing Council officially approved the list of recipients of the 2026 Extraordinary Doctoral Awards, thereby recognizing the scientific and academic excellence of their theses.

In total, 35 UPC PhD graduates have been recognized, selected from among the most significant theses with *cum laude* distinction defended during the 2023/2024 academic year.

The awards ceremony will take place on November 10, 2026, during the 2026–2027 Welcome Ceremony for PhD Students, organized by the Doctoral School..

Congratulations to all the award winners!

Would you like to apply your knowledge to real-world challenges and contribute to the development of solutions that improve people's lives?

Robotics is transforming the way we provide care, offer support, and improve people's quality of life. Through this hackathon, you will have the opportunity to be part of this shift by working on real-world challenges proposed by companies, research centers, and organizations in the sector. Take part in an innovation experience where you will develop a solution to address actual challenges in the health and robotics sectors.

Why participate?

• Work on 6 real-world challenges in assistive robotics.
• Opt for €6,000 in prizes (3 prizes of €2,000).
• Boost your professional profile by presenting your proposal to a panel of expert judges.

On July 9, 2026, the meeting of the Catalan Association of Doctoral Schools (ACED) took place in the Great Hall (Aula Magna) of the University of Barcelona’s Historic Building; this working session brought together doctoral schools from Catalan universities to share experiences and coordinate initiatives to improve doctoral studies.

The event program included several sessions dedicated to strategic issues regarding doctoral studies, such as inter-university doctoral programs, management and quality, cross-disciplinary training activities, micro-credentials, special doctoral awards, doctoral degree equivalencies, and proposals for the emotional well-being of doctoral candidates within the Catalan university system.

During Session 3, which focused on the use of artificial intelligence in doctoral studies, the Director of the Doctoral School, Dr. Cristina Canal Barnils, outlined the measures the UPC has implemented to regulate and provide guidance on the use of AI in doctoral programs, as well as the monitoring of the various initiatives adopted in this area.

ACED meetings are particularly valuable for the exchange of experiences and best practices among participating universities. Attendees once again highlighted the constructive and enriching nature of the event and, above all, the fact that Catalan universities are working together cooperatively to drive progress in doctoral studies.

The UPC’s participation in this meeting reaffirms its commitment to the continuous improvement of doctoral training and to collaboration with other Catalan universities. The next ACED meeting is scheduled for six months from now and will be hosted by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).

Starting 1 October 2026, two new requirements will apply to all doctoral theses submitted at UPC.

AI Use Declaration:
All doctoral candidates must include a declaration on the use of generative artificial intelligence in the preparation of their thesis. This measure promotes transparency and academic integrity. The Doctoral School will provide a template and an online tool to generate the declaration easily.

Open Science Training:
Before submitting the thesis, doctoral candidates must have completed at least one Open Science or Citizen Science training activity, recorded in their Doctoral Activities Document (DAD).
To make this requirement easy to fulfil, the Doctoral School will launch a new self-paced online Open Science course, available to all doctoral candidates throughout their doctoral studies.

These new measures strengthen UPC's commitment to responsible research and transparency in doctoral education.