The UB promotes new projects that enhance cooperation and sustainability in the Pyrenean territory

Thus, the new call reinforces the idea that cross-border cooperation is an effective tool for building more resilient, inclusive and competitive territories, and promotes a model of cooperation between institutions, universities and social entities in the Pyrenees territory.

Geothermal and renewable energies

Exploring the potential of geothermal energy as a source of renewable energy in mountain areas of the Pyrenees is the aim of the PIROS project, directed by Professor Irene Cantarero, from the Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology of the Faculty of Earth Sciences. Also participating are the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC), the Regional Council of Alt Urgell, Andorra Research and Innovation, the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Paris-Saclay (France).

PIROS wants to consolidate the knowledge and potential of geothermal energy as a natural resource of the territory to promote its widespread use and thus contribute to energy sovereignty and the mitigation of climate change in the Pyrenees. This initiative will evaluate the geothermal potential associated with the thermal water systems present in the territory to determine the possible uses of this resource depending on the location (generation of electricity, heat or other direct uses) and its socio-economic impact on the sustainable development of these areas. It will combine geological, geophysical and hydrogeological studies with the analysis of socio-economic factors, and will strengthen scientific and technical cooperation between Spain, Andorra and France to promote a change in the perception and use of geothermal energy. It will thus establish the scientific and technical bases for integrating geothermal energy into local energy policies with a perspective of sustainable exploitation.

The project has a total budget of 1,493,733.14 euros (FEDER funding: 944,124.55 euros) and is part of priority 1 of the call, which is defined to create a common space for knowledge and innovation.

The sea heals

The SEAHEALS project emerges from the concept of blue health as a new perspective and integrates health and well-being with the marine environment. It is directed by professor David Gallardo, director of the Individual Differences Lab (IDLab) Research Group, of the Faculty of Psychology, and of the Institute of Neurosciences (UBneuro), and Jordi Renom, full professor of the Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology of the Faculty of Psychology of the UB. The Health and Social Union for Support and Prevention (USSAP) and the SomMar association are also collaborating. The initiative wants to create a trans-Pyrenean blue health network to study and scientifically validate the psychological and physiological benefits of marine activities, and disseminate them through a digital platform that gives visibility to this territorial platform. Applying innovative strategies, SEAHEALS will benefit the public in general, and improve the quality of life of people with a physical or mental illness.

The project, which also follows priority 1 of the call, will allow sharing methodologies and add synergies between teams and strengthen the connection between science, public health, sustainability and cohesion in coastal areas, in a context that will promote the conservation of the marine environment as a source of health and give value to sustainable tourism linked to well-being. In parallel, it will contribute to the development of the East Coast Functional Area between Catalonia and the Red Coast, with the participation of scientific, health and social agents.

This initiative, which places the blue element as an underexplored line, has a global budget of 1,060,643.05 euros (co-financing included).

Permafrost in a changing environment

Today, very little is still known about permafrost - the permanently frozen ground in cold environments: polar or mountain - in the Pyrenees, the highest mountain range in southern Europe. And still much less is known about its recent dynamics and how it may respond to the projected thermal increase in the future. The PERMAPYRENEES-2 project will analyze the current distribution of permafrost in the Pyrenees, monitor its evolution and evaluate its response in the current climate context, marked by rising temperatures. This initiative is the continuation of the active PERMAPYRENEES project, it has a total budget of 1,764,287.71 euros (co-financing included) and is in line with priority 2 of the call, aimed at protecting and consolidating ecological values.

The project is led by professor Marc Oliva, from the Geography Department of the Faculty of Geography and History and ICREA Acadèmia researcher. PERMAPYRENEES-2 aims to provide a better knowledge of the territory and the management of the natural risks associated with global warming in the highest peaks of the Pyrenees, in particular the degradation of the permafrost, which leads to instability of slopes, landslides, rockfalls, etc. In recent years it has affected highly frequented mountain routes, as well as some infrastructure.

Fighting leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, present in several areas of the Americas, Asia and the Mediterranean, with an increasing incidence in Spain and France due to environmental and socioeconomic factors. Current treatments are scarce and present problems of toxicity and resistance, which highlights the need for new drugs and administration systems. In this context, the UB is one of the entities participating in the RudraLeT-Nano project, an initiative led by the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, France) to identify and analyze the environmental, socioeconomic and public health factors that drive leishmaniasis in the cross-border regions between Spain and France.

The main researcher at the UB is Professor Patrick Gámez, from the Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry of the Faculty of Chemistry. RudraLeT-Nano will also promote the development of new innovative therapeutic strategies against leishmaniasis using the resources of medicinal chemistry (design and synthesis of new drug candidates), biology (research of mechanisms of action and genetic and in vivo studies to evaluate their efficacy and safety) and nanomedicine (creation of biocompatible nanostructured systems to improve drug stability, selectivity and clinical outcomes in patients).

The project, which follows priority 1 of the call, has a total budget of 961,794.79 euros (co-financing included).

Original news: https://web.ub.edu/ca/web/actualitat/w/projectes-ub-poctefa