Escola Pia Igualada of Barcelona, national winner of the “Reimagine Science” competition for its talent in communicating clinical cancer research
Young talent and science communication took centre stage today with the celebration of the grand final of the Reimagine Science competition, a science outreach initiative promoted by Novartis, in collaboration with Big Van Ciencia and with the participation of the Recerca en Societat– RESSÒ programme of the Parc Científic de la Universitat de Barcelona (PCB-UB). For the first time, the competition connected live hundreds of students from Catalonia, Madrid, Andalusia and Galicia in a unique gala to present the 12 finalist projects from the four regions, with the students attending at the four venues themselves responsible for selecting the national winner for 2026 through a live vote.
The competition is driven with the aim of promoting scientific vocations, encouraging secondary and high school students to creatively express their knowledge of clinical research in oncology. Cancer has already become the leading cause of death in Spain, a fact that underscores the urgency of continuing to promote knowledge and the development of new therapeutic pathways through research.
After receiving nearly one hundred applications from Andalusia, Catalonia, Galicia and Madrid, the competition brought the four autonomous communities together simultaneously in a multi-venue final gala format to highlight the students’ ingenuity and announce the winners.
Through a streaming connection coordinated from Barcelona, the 12 finalist schools from the different regions presented their projects in person at their respective venues, sharing the broadcast with the other locations.
El guanyador nacional, una decisió en mans dels joves
he most exciting moment of the morning came with the selection, for the first time, of a national winner of Reimagine Science. In line with the project’s participatory philosophy, the students attending the four venues themselves were the ones who, through a live vote, selected the winning project from among the regional winners.
Following the vote, the highest recognition was awarded to Escola Pia Igualada (Barcelona), for its ability to combine scientific rigor and creativity in its proposal on oncology research. The project will serve as the competition’s representative for the 2026 edition, with the aim of acting as a source of inspiration and a benchmark project for future editions of the competition.
The best projects of the edition
Following the screening of the 12 finalist videos and the deliberation of the jury, made up of representatives from Novartis and institutional bodies from the different regions, the four regional winners of this edition were announced:
Community of Madrid: IES Alameda de Osuna (Madrid), with the project Mortal GPS: the Radioligand Reality Show. In their project, students simulate the format of a television programme featuring a doctor, medical students, oncology patients and radioligands themselves as a targeted cancer therapy.
Andalusia: IES Bellavista (Seville), with the project We Move Forward. A project that showcases the evolution of medicine from the early 20th century to the present day, highlighting the value of clinical trials in the search for new oncology therapies.
Galicia: Ponte Caldelas (Pontevedra), with the project Caldelartix. A project in which students demonstrate the action of precision oncology therapies using humour and video game analogies, while also showing their knowledge of the different phases of a clinical trial aimed at developing effective cancer treatments.
Catalonia: Escola Pia Igualada (Barcelona), with the project The Final Play. A theatrical sketch that follows the story of a cancer patient who discovers the different treatment options available. Through metaphors such as a game of darts, students highlight the potential of precision therapies, such as radioligands, to address oncological diseases.
United to promote scientific vocations
The Reimagine Science competition was born out of the strategic collaboration between Novartis and Big Van Ciencia, with the strong support of research centres and public administrations such as the i+12 Foundation of Madrid, the Xunta of Galicia, the Progress and Health Foundation, Sevilla TechPark and the Parc Científic de Barcelona. The shared goal is to foster STEAM vocations by using engaging formats that help explain how clinical research is key to tackling high-impact diseases such as cancer.
“We are thrilled with the extremely high level of creativity and commitment we have seen today at the four venues. With this national gala, we are not only recognising the best projects, but also celebrating the commitment of an entire generation of students and teachers to the future of health. At Novartis, we are convinced that initiatives such as Reimagine Science are essential to spark scientific vocations and to demonstrate that clinical research is the driving force that allows us to transform the lives of patients with diseases as prevalent as cancer,” says Natividad Calvente, Director of Public Affairs at Novartis Spain.
“The participation of the Parc Científic de la Universitat de Barcelona in the Reimagine Science programme reflects a firm commitment to science communication and the promotion of scientific culture, which is part of our DNA and is also reflected in our Research in Society – RESSÒ programme, with more than 20 years of experience. We are especially pleased to have seen this joint initiative come to life and to support its consolidation as a reference project for educational centres. Programmes like this are key to awakening scientific vocations among young people and to promoting essential skills such as creativity and critical thinking,which are indispensable for the future of research,” adds María Terrades, Director General of the Parc Científic de Barcelona.
