The Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Dr Josep Trueta University Hospital, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) and Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) will form a strategic alliance to establish the Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (NordCat-CCC). The initiative aims to become a European benchmark for comprehensive cancer care within the framework of the Joint Action EUnetCCC , which has already selected the consortium as a pilot for the certification process.

The new consortium will serve nearly two million people across the Barcelona Metropolitan North and Girona health regions. It has been established with the aim of providing more coordinated, equitable and high-quality cancer care by bringing healthcare, research, innovation and training together within a single collaborative structure. Medical oncologist Ricard Mesia will serve as director of the new consortium.

A model aligned with the European strategy against cancer

This key initiative is aligned with the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Joint Action EUnetCCC, which is promoting the creation of a European network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres to ensure that, by 2030, 90% of eligible European patients have access to this type of organisation.

The Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium aims to achieve European certification as a Comprehensive Cancer Consortium and become an international centre of reference capable of integrating high-quality healthcare, research, education and innovation, as well as cancer prevention and control.

“The growing incidence of cancer and improvements in life expectancy among cancer patients thanks to new treatments require new models of collaboration that enable us to harness the full healthcare, scientific and technological potential of the system for the benefit of patients, through teamwork among professionals from different institutions. In this context, the Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium represents a commitment to advancing towards more integrated, innovative and equitable cancer care that can meet the scale of the challenge we face,” said Joan Brunet*, Director of the Catalan Institute of Oncology.

Àngels Morales, Managing Director of Dr Josep Trueta University Hospital of Girona and the Institute of Health Care (IAS), highlighted that the creation of the Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium “brings together capabilities, knowledge and talent to advance towards a model of excellence in cancer care, aligned with the most advanced European standards.” She added: “For Trueta, being part of this alliance is an opportunity to consolidate northern Catalonia as a leading hub for comprehensive cancer care and to ensure that the nearly two million people in the region can access the best cancer care, research and innovation close to home.”

Josep Maria Mòdol, Managing Director of Germans Trias Hospital (Can Ruti), stressed that “this alliance demonstrates that the Catalan health system already operates as an interconnected network, equipped to provide the best possible care throughout the region, prioritising patients’ needs and enabling each centre to focus on the areas where it can contribute the greatest value.” He added: “We are proud that this model can serve as an example and a standard for other European regions as cancer care continues to evolve.”

A unique healthcare and research ecosystem

Bringing together the capabilities of the institutions behind the initiative will create one of Catalonia’s most significant cancer care and research ecosystems. This scale of activity will strengthen coordination among professionals and accelerate the translation of scientific advances into clinical practice.

Precision medicine and innovation for patients

The Consortium will promote shared platforms in strategic areas including tumour genomics, digital pathology, integrated biobanks, molecular tumour boards and advanced data analysis systems. These infrastructures will support the development of increasingly personalised medicine and enable treatments to be tailored to the specific characteristics of each patient. In addition, the Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium will strengthen participation in clinical trials and translational research, helping scientific advances reach clinical practice more rapidly.

In this regard, Jordi Barretina, Director of IGTP, highlighted that “the creation of the Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium enables us to consolidate an integrated cancer ecosystem in which healthcare, research, innovation and training work together in a coordinated way for the benefit of patients. Bringing together the capabilities of hospitals, research institutions and health regions gives us a unique opportunity to accelerate translational research, facilitate the transfer of scientific knowledge into clinical practice and advance towards more personalised, equitable and accessible cancer care for everyone.”

Marga Nadal, Director of IDIBGI, noted that the project “is a major opportunity for Girona and Badalona to combine their capabilities to drive excellent research that translates into improvements for patients.”

Representing the IJC, its Director Ari Melnick highlighted the Institute’s contribution to the new ecosystem: “As a founding member of the Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, the Josep Carreras Institute brings its expertise as a leading centre for blood cancer research and treatment to a broader oncology network, working alongside other institutions to share knowledge and experience. We are confident that, through this collaboration, the advances we generate for patients with blood cancers will also benefit patients with other types of cancer, helping to ensure that progress in cancer research reaches patients more effectively.”

A regional network to ensure equitable access

The new consortium will strengthen the existing network of hospitals across the region. The hospitals within the network are Santa Caterina Hospital, Palamós Hospital, Figueres Hospital, Sant Jaume de Calella Hospital, Olot and Garrotxa Regional Hospital, Blanes Regional Hospital, Mataró Hospital, Badalona Municipal Hospital and Esperit Sant Hospital.

This structure will bring highly complex cancer services closer to people throughout the region, regardless of where they live, ensuring more accessible care and greater continuity of care. The initiative therefore covers the Barcelona Metropolitan North and Girona health regions of the Catalan Health Service. Candela Calle, Managing Director of the Barcelona Metropolitan North Health Region, noted that “this is a highly significant and strategic project because it brings together two health regions and highlights the need for a comprehensive model of excellence in cancer care. It is a strong example of the importance of alliances and network-based collaboration.”

Jaume Heredia, Managing Director of the Girona Health Region, added: “The Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium alliance is a major step forward for Catalonia that will have a direct impact on the health of one in four Catalans. It demonstrates the potential of working as a network, enabling us to improve quality and territorial equity, advance personalised medicine and accelerate the incorporation into clinical practice of advances arising from research.”

A strategic commitment to the future

The creation of the Nord Catalunya Comprehensive Cancer Consortium represents a decisive step towards consolidating a model of comprehensive cancer care based on cooperation between hospitals, research centres and healthcare institutions. This model of care, promoted by the Catalan Institute of Oncology since its inception in collaboration with the institutions that make up the alliance, means that the consortium is already working in line with the standards Europe has set for the future of cancer care. Through this alliance, Catalonia strengthens its position within the European oncology landscape and makes a strategic commitment to advancing towards more personalised, innovative and people-centred medicine.