Mataró and Figueres Hospitals become university centers

The Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya has declared that the Mataró Hospital meets the requirements to acquire the status of university hospital of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and that the Figueres Hospital meets the requirements to be an associated hospital of the University of Girona (UdG). The two resolutions, signed by the counselor Núria Montserrat Pulido, are published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) number 9735, of August 21, 2026.

The first, Resolution REU/2927/2026, of August 10, recognizes Mataró Hospital as a university hospital of the UAB (reference CVE-DOGC-A-26224045-2026). The second, Resolution REU/2928/2026, of the same date, recognizes Figueres Hospital as an associated hospital of the UdG (reference CVE-DOGC-A-26224046-2026). Both are issued upon the proposal of the Director General of Universities and exhaust the administrative route.

The regulatory framework

The declarations are based on Annex III, section 1 d) of Royal Decree 640/2021, of July 27, on the creation, recognition, and authorization of universities and university centers, and on base 5 of article 4 of Royal Decree 1558/1986, of June 28, which establishes the general bases of the agreement regime between universities and health institutions. According to these regulations, when the agreement covers the entirety of the hospital or 75% of its services, it is called a university hospital; when it refers to some services, an associated hospital.

Mataró Hospital, university of the UAB

The recognition derives from the agreement signed on March 10, 2025, between the Department of Health, the UAB, and the Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, the owner of the center. The application was submitted on January 2, 2026, and received the approval of the Academic Commission of the university’s Social Council, as well as the favorable report of the General Directorate of Health Professionals on July 16, 2026.

The agreement covers the basic and clinical training of students from various degrees and masters:

• Degrees in Medicine, Speech Therapy, Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Sciences, Genetics, and Microbiology.
• University Master’s in General Health Psychology.
• Clinical internships for own degrees approved by the Joint Commission that regulates the agreement.

Figueres Hospital, associated with the UdG

The recognition of the Figueres Hospital is based on the agreement signed on February 4, 2025, between the Department of Health, the UdG, and the Salut Empordà Foundation. The application was submitted on March 18, 2026, with the approval of the university’s Governing Council and Social Council, and the favorable report from the General Directorate of Health Professionals dated June 12, 2026.

The agreement covers the training of students in the degrees of Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Biotechnology, Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, as well as university master’s and doctoral students in the field of health sciences.

Impact on the territories

With these declarations, clinical teaching and health sciences research are expanded to the regions of Barcelona and Girona, specifically in Maresme and Alt Empordà. Both hospitals now have official recognition to provide practical teaching to university students, a fact that strengthens the health and university network of Catalonia and brings clinical training closer to the territories where future professionals live.

Source: Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC), no. 9735, August 21, 2026, Announcements section (official references: CVE-DOGC-A-26224045-2026 and CVE-DOGC-A-26224046-2026).