School of Engineering and Management
Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Business Administration and Management Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and Business Administration and Management Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology and Business Administration and Management Dual Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Industrial Engineering and Business Administration and Management Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management and MarketingSchool of Engineering
Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering Master’s Degree in Bioengineering Master’s Degree in Biopharmaceutical Business Master’s Degree in Cosmetics and Fragrances Master’s Degree in Materials Science and EngineeringSchool of Management
Master’s Degree in International Marketing in a Digital Environment Master’s Degree in Auditing and Management Control Master’s Degree in Wealth and Financial Management Master’s Degree in Industrial Business Management Master in Global Entrepreneurial Management Master's Degree in Neuromarketing Master's Degree in Accounting, Data Analytics and ESG ReportingSchool of Engineering and Management
Dual Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry and Industrial Business Management Dual Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Industrial Business Management Dual Master’s Degree in Bioengineering and Industrial Business Management Dual Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and Industrial Business Management Dual Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Industrial Business Management Dual Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Chemical Engineering Dual Master’s Degree in Biopharmaceutical Business and Bioengineering Dual Master’s Degree in Biopharmaceutical Business and Pharmaceutical ChemistryMásters
Executive MBA Máster en Dirección de Operaciones Máster en Dirección de Compras Estratégicas Máster en Packaging Management Máster en Dirección de Empresas Hoteleras Máster en Organización de Eventos y Turismo de Negocios Máster en NeuromárketingPosgrados
Posgrado en Ingenería de Plantas Farmacéuticas Posgrado Product & Process Engineering Managament Posgrado Manufacturing Plant Leadership Posgrado Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management Posgrado en Gestión Estratégica de Compras (MIP) Posgrado en Envasado, Logística y Circularidad del Packaging Posgrado Packaging Project Management Posgrado Diseño Estructural y Desarrollo de Packaging Posgrado en Perfumes y Fragancias, Mercado y Aplicaciones Posgrado Dirección Avanzada del Laboratorio de Calidad Posgrado en Tecnología de Pinturas Posgrado en Ética Medioambiental Posgrado en Hotelería de Lujo Posgrado en IA y Web3 aplicada a Alojamientos Turísticos Posgrado en Gobierno y Dirección de la Pyme (Vértice)IQS offers an attractive and suitable PhD programme for students interested in research and innovation in the field of biotechnology and bioengineering. The programme has an interdisciplinary approach because it aims to respond to the professional needs of the biotechnology industry and scientific training for academic and industrial research.
The PhD Programme in Bioengineering was created in 2008, at the same time as the inauguration of the IQS Bioengineering Building where the research laboratories in the field of biotechnology and bioengineering are located.
Spots
10 new PhD candidates are admitted per academic year
Begining
Registration open all year round
Areas
Chemistry Area Chemical Engineering Area Industrial Engineering Area
At IQS you will work in laboratories and workshops equipped with the latest technologies. We have specific laboratories for the Master’s Degree in Bioengineering where you can put into practice everything you learn during the degree.
The core aspect of the PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering programme involves completing a doctoral thesis under the guidance of a thesis supervisor. Candidates join a research group to conduct an original scientific research project in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, or industrial engineering, gaining research skills and knowledge as they work on their thesis.
The objectives of the PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering programme are:
To educate new doctors who are specialists in the most modern and cutting-edge fields of chemistry and chemical engineering thanks to a solid foundation and knowledge. These PhD graduates are prepared with the aim of producing increasingly competitive and modern companies in which the need for research and innovation is considered a given.
To awaken the calling in future university professors and researchers and educate them appropriately for this purpose. It is also important to remember that a doctorate is the natural and mandatory entry point for a university teaching career.
To educate research professionals who are capable of naturally adapting to the increasingly rapid-changing scientific and technological environment with the most advanced knowledge in their respective specialties. With this background, our PhD graduates are aware of the need for continuing education throughout life and they have learned the precise methodology to do so.
To ensure that the doctors trained in these studies have an awareness of the impact that their work represents for the environment and humanity, not to mention a deep ethical understanding of the profession, as they will be at the forefront of scientific and technical advances.
To maintain a high level of basic and applied research at IQS that fosters a continuous spirit of innovation and staying abreast of current knowledge and methodologies at all teaching levels.
The main employment opportunities for graduates of the PhD Programme in Bioengineering are mainly in the areas of research and research management in companies in the biotechnology sector, where they hold positions of high responsibility in R&D&I, as well as in universities and other research institutions. A small number of PhDs pursue scientific careers in academia or research institutions.
If you want to know what research is like at IQS and all the details of the programme, who better to tell you about it than our doctoral students?
At IQS, each student is a story of motivation, dedication and success. From their experience, you can get a more accurate view of the content of the programme and the impact on the doctoral students’ professional future.
Admission to the PhD Programme in Bioengineering can be applied for at any time during the academic year. The admission procedure to the PhD programme consists of the following stages:
The procedures and the calendar of meetings of the programme’s Academic Committee are updated on the IQS virtual campus.
Once the admission process has been completed, the Director General of IQS holds a welcome interview with the future PhD candidate. The admitted candidate has the rest of the academic year to formalise his/her enrolment at the IQS General Secretariat, at which point he/she acquires the status of doctoral student. If this is not the case, he/she will have to reapply for admission to the CAPD. The following annual enrolments will take place during the month of October at the beginning of each academic year.
The Doctoral Programme in Bioengineering does not provide additional training for students who enter the programme with a Master’s degree in Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Biomedicine, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, or related fields. However, in other cases, the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme (CAPD) may, during the admission process, assign specific training complements adapted to the candidate’s entry profile.
Likewise, the candidate may request the CAPD, with the approval of his/her thesis supervisor, to carry out any additional training that may be of interest to him/her. The training complements will consist of subjects from the Master’s Degree in Bioengineering at Ramon Llull University or from other Master’s Degree programmes taught at IQS which, not having been taken by the candidate in his or her previous studies, are considered to be of special relevance for the development of his or her thesis project. These complements will not exceed a maximum of 6 ECTS to be taken during the first year of the thesis.
The requirements for admission to the Doctoral Programme in Bioengineering are established by Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28 January 2011. To be admitted to the Doctoral Programme in Bioengineering at IQS, the candidate must:
In the case of students with special educational needs derived from disability, IQS support and counselling services will assess the need for possible curricular adaptations, itineraries or alternative studies.
The profiles for access to the Doctoral Programme in Bioengineering are graduates in official Master’s degrees in Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Biomedicine, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, or related fields. Access of candidates with other educational backgrounds will be studied individually by the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme.
At the end of the Doctoral Programme in Bioengineering, the student will have achieved the following competence profile:
IQS annually offers grants of up to three years in duration for doctoral studies at IQS.
The Ramon Llull University Research and Innovation Office regularly publishes announcements for research grants, including actions such as co-financing contracts for research support personnel, pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research contracts, pre-doctoral scholarships, and grants for teaching and research staff mobility. In addition, Ramon Llull University maintains an up-to-date list of public financial aid for which doctoral students are eligible.
The research groups at IQS maintain an active policy of attracting research resources through different channels through public agencies and entities, foundations, and private companies. Particularly relevant actions within the context of the PhD in Bioengineering programme are intended for: equipment and infrastructure, competitive projects (European and Spanish), pre-doctoral scholarships, travel grants for doctoral students (for courses and conferences).
The percentage of students who obtain these grants are:
Twelve doctors and researchers form the faculty of the PhD in Bioengineering programme. All of the professors are members of a research group recognised by the Government of Catalonia (SGR – Support for Research Groups). All the research groups to which the programme’s professors belong participate in competitively financed research projects (National Plan, European projects, industrial doctorates, etc.) and projects in partnerships with companies.
92% of the research professors are currently engaged in a six-year merit-based research period, and 32 professors in total have received funding increases upon completing recognised six-year research periods and publishing their work. The faculty members of the PhD in Bioengineering programme cover all the educational objectives and participate in one or more research lines in the programme. The following link lists the academic, research, and work profiles of the various professors of the PhD in Bioengineering programme:
Antoni Planas Sauter, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Benjamí Oller Salvia, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Carlos Eduardo Semino, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Cristina Fornaguera Puigvert, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Magda Faijes Simona, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Marc Carnicer Heras, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Maria Auset Vallejo, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Martí Lecina Veciana, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Mercedes Balcells Camps, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Montserrat Agut Bonsfills, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
Pablo Leivar Rico, PhD
Dean’s Office of the IQS School of Engineering and Department of Bioengineering
Salvador Borrós Gómez, PhD
Management and Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Xavier Biarnés Fontal, PhD
Department of Bioengineering
The PhD in Bioengineering programme is structured into seven research lines grouped into four large thematic areas. Together, the thematic areas cover the different IQS research groups recognised by the Government of Catalonia, the IQS Bioengineering Department laboratories, and the individual interests of the various professors in the programme.
Enzyme and bioinformatics engineering in glycobiology and biocatalysis.
Genetic and metabolic engineering of bacteria, yeasts, and microalgae.
Design and optimisation of bioprocesses to produce high value-added products.
Biomaterials for transport in gene therapy and drug delivery.
Surface engineering and biomaterials for biomedical applications.
Tissue generation using biomimetic materials for biomedical applications.
Microbiology applied to biomedicine and food and water treatment.
The PhD in Bioengineering programme includes a series of activities that aim to advance the educational activities for students in the programme. As part of the requirements established for the doctoral programme, IQS places special importance on assisting its professors in terms of teaching, research, and management (through Teaching and Research Assistants), as well as offering them the opportunity to participate in seminars, conferences, and special courses of interest for doctoral students that are held at IQS. The range of educational activities in which students in the PhD in Bioengineering programme can participate includes:
Before the end of the first year, the doctoral student will prepare a detailed Research Plan that will include a background statement, the objectives to be achieved, the methodology to be used and the necessary means, and the time schedule to carry it out. This research plan, presented in writing with the approval of the thesis director and the tutor, will be evaluated by the CAPD during the evaluation of the first year of the doctorate. The doctoral student must present his/her detailed Research Plan to the CAPD in a public session, followed by a question and answer session with the CAPD members.
The General Standards of Organisation for Doctorates at Ramon Llull University (available here) establish the framework for the PhD in Bioengineering programme.
The specific adaptation of these standards for doctoral programs at IQS is set out in the Standards for Doctoral Studies at IQS.
Doctoral studies last for a maximum duration of three full-time years, starting from the date of admission of the doctoral student to the programme up to the date of their doctoral thesis submission.
If a student’s request to submit their doctoral thesis has not been filed within this three-year period, the Doctoral Programme Academic Committee (CAPD) may authorise the extension of this period for one additional year, which may be exceptionally extended for an additional year.
Part-time doctoral studies may be carried out solely if authorised by the CAPD in advance. Part-time studies may last for a maximum duration of five years from the student’s date of admission to the programme up to the date of their doctoral thesis submission.
Extensions for part-time studies may be authorised for two more years and another additional year exceptionally.
For the purposes of calculating this period, absences due to illness, maternity, paternity, or any other cause envisaged by current legislation are not taken into account.
In addition, doctoral students can request temporary disenrollment from the programme for a maximum period of one year, which can be extended by up to one more year. This request must be justified and addressed to the CAPD, which will decide on whether or not to accept the request within a maximum period of two months.
Candidates for the doctoral programme can apply and be admitted at any time during the academic year. Initial enrolment in the doctoral programme can be done at any time during the academic year. Subsequent enrolments must be done at the beginning of each academic year.
The annual assessment of doctoral students is done during the month of July.
Students can submit their request to defend their doctoral thesis to the CAPD and conduct their defence at any time during the academic year. Prior to defending their thesis, students can submit their request to do so with the Ramon Llull University Doctoral Committee at any time during the academic year.
The CAPD regular meeting takes place once a month. The Ramon Llull University Doctoral Committee meeting takes place once a month.
IQS firmly believes in the value of science, technology, and business internationalisation. For this reason, IQS considers international exchanges essential and an excellent way to complement and enrich students’ education both professionally and personally. IQS encourages students in the PhD in Bioengineering programme to spend time at foreign universities and research centres as part of international mobility programmes to enhance the research objectives in their doctoral thesis.
Doctoral student participation in mobility activities is governed by the standards that regulate doctoral studies at IQS and at Ramon Llull University
Doctoral students have access to financial aid to take part in mobility programmes as described in the grants section. The International Relations Office provides support to IQS students who wish to conduct research abroad.
Since the start of the programme in 2008, 41 doctoral theses have been successfully defended in the PhD Programme in Bioengineering. You can consult the list of defended doctoral theses.
Since 2011, doctoral education at Spanish universities has been governed by Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28 January, and subsequent amendments thereof, which regulates official doctoral studies. Ramon Llull University has drafted internal General Standards for the Structure of Doctorates to offer accurate interpretation of current legislation and adapt it to the regular operation of doctoral education at the university.
These regulations govern and implement all procedures related to admissions, supervision, monitoring, evaluation, submission, and defence of doctoral theses and doctoral degrees, honorary awards, and archiving defended theses.
The procedures and the schedule of meetings of the Academic Committee of the program are updated on the IQS virtual campus.
The Doctoral Programme in Bioengineering has strategic quality policies and internal quality assurance systems in order to guarantee the achievement of the training objectives of the Doctoral Programme.
The URL’s Academic and Teaching Quality and Innovation Unit (UQIAD-URL), based on networking with the quality units/areas of the centres and faculties, promotes, coordinates and reviews the evaluation processes of the academic and teaching environment in order to contribute to guaranteeing the quality standards and excellence of our University.
The main quantitative indicators for monitoring the operational development of the Bioengineering PhD Programme are shown in the following tables:
