The agreement establishes a five-year cooperation framework between the developer specialised in passive construction and the School of Architecture of Universitat Internacional de Catalunya.
Sant Cugat del Vallès, 2 July 2026.
PAPIK Group and Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona) have signed a collaboration agreement aimed at promoting joint activities in the academic, training, technical and professional fields linked to the construction sector, with a specific focus on researching the Passivhaus standard. The signing consolidates a stable alliance between academia and business to deepen the understanding of how highly energy-efficient buildings perform in real conditions.
The agreement sets out a framework cooperation that will unfold through several channels: jointly conducting research projects, co-editing and publishing work of common interest, exchanging information and providing mutual advice on the planning and execution of technical studies. The collaboration will have an initial duration of five years, with the intention of continuing beyond it.
On UIC Barcelona's side, the agreement will be coordinated by the School of Architecture, with Professor Ricardo Gómez Val as principal investigator. On PAPIK Group's side, the collaboration is part of its core activity focused on the promotion, construction and renovation of highly energy-efficient buildings, with an operating model based on the technical criteria of passive architecture, energy control and construction precision.
The agreement reinforces both organisations' commitment to knowledge transfer between the university and the business sector. For PAPIK Group, it means opening its experience in Passivhaus-certifiable projects, from initial advice through to execution, to rigorous academic analysis. For UIC Barcelona, it broadens the scope for applied research in an area that is key to the energy transition of the building sector.
The collaboration also plans to give joint visibility to the advances arising from the shared work, through both organisations' usual academic and communication channels, as well as through educational activities aimed at undergraduate students of the School of Architecture.
The agreement reflects the shared conviction that advancing the Passivhaus standard in our region requires combining the rigour of university research with the reality of buildings that are built and lived in.
With this signing, PAPIK Group takes a further step in its strategy of consolidating passive architecture as the central axis of its activity and of actively contributing to the professional, technical and academic ecosystem that is defining the next generation of efficient buildings in Catalonia.
The alliance combines PAPIK Group's construction experience with the research capacity of UIC Barcelona's School of Architecture to advance highly energy-efficient building in Catalonia.