UPC and RMIT University reinforce their strategic collaboration with a new research agreement

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have today formalised a new collaboration agreement that consolidates their strategic alliance in the field of research and innovation. The signing ceremony was attended by the UPC Rector, Francesc Torres, and the RMIT Chancellor, Peggy O'Neal AO.

The agreement, entitled ‘UPC-RMIT University and Europe laboratory access agreement’, establishes a framework for cooperation that allows reciprocal access for research staff from the UPC to RMIT’s laboratories and, conversely, from RMIT to those of the UPC. This agreement is a decisive step towards creating a more collaborative research environment, fostering synergies that will facilitate the development of joint projects, the transfer of knowledge, and the formation of high-level teams.

A long-standing relationship that continues to grow

This new agreement is part of a consolidated relationship between the two institutions, based on training and research. For years, the UPC and RMIT have maintained various agreements for the exchange of students and Teaching and Research Staff (TRS), which has allowed for the regular mobility of academic staff. Furthermore, numerous co-supervision agreements for doctoral theses have been formalised, contributing significantly to the internationalisation of the UPC’s PhD programmes.

One of the pillars of this collaboration is the agreement with the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB), which has enabled more than sixty students to complete academic exchanges, enriching their training with a global perspective. In this regard, a new mobility agreement has also been signed today with other UPC centres, such as the Terrassa School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering (ESEIAAT), the Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB), the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB), and the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB).

The cooperation between both universities is also evident in their joint participation in prestigious international networks, such as T.I.M.E. and UNITECH International, and in competitive research projects from the Horizon Europe programme. Shared areas of work include projects on open innovation in industry, climate solutions for coastal landscapes, and staff mobility to advance towards more resilient societies.

The signing of this agreement culminates a series of visits by RMIT delegations to the UPC, which have served to strengthen existing ties and explore new synergies in key areas such as research, innovation, and technology transfer. This cooperative relationship between the UPC and RMIT reinforces their position as international benchmarks, with the shared goal of tackling the social and scientific challenges of the future.