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On June 20, Javier Navarro, Trustee of the Uriach Foundation, delivered a lecture entitled “Natural Health: An Emerging Market with Professional Opportunities” as part of the closing events of the Interuniversity Master’s in Metabolism and Nutrition at the Rovira i Virgili University (URV).

The event took place in the Aula Magna of the Catalunya Campus (URV) and also featured the participation of Ms. Anna Arola, Representative of the Master’s Program at URV; Mr. Joan J. Carvajal, Dean of URV; Mr. José Antonio Fernández, Coordinator of the Master’s Program at UB; and Ms. Maribel Matheu, Secretary of the Faculty of Chemistry.

The participation of the Uriach Foundation in this event reflects recognition of the outstanding work being carried out by the Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals, particularly in its direct connection with the Master’s in Nutrition and Metabolism, through annual scholarships and awards, as well as the involvement of Uriach collaborators serving as lecturers in the program, among other activities.

On June 20, the Uriach Foundation attended the awards ceremony at the Goya Theater in Madrid to receive two ASPID 2024 Awards for “Uriach Virtual Experience.”

Uriach Virtual Experience is an immersive virtual reality journey that allows users to explore key milestones in Uriach’s history, such as the first drugstore located in Barcelona’s Born district, the company’s laboratory from the 1970s, as well as a natural environment showcasing the company’s current values and brands.

Awards received:

• Silver Aspid in the category “E-Health”

• Aspid in the category “Health Gamification”

The ASPID Awards for Ibero-American Health and Pharmaceutical Creativity and Communication are a recognition granted both to design and communication agencies, as well as to companies and institutions in the healthcare sector, for campaigns and initiatives that stand out for their excellence and creativity within the field.

This past May 2024, Enric Huguet, one of the pioneers of illustration, advertising, and graphic design in our country, passed away at the age of 95.

Born in Barcelona, Enric Huguet studied at the Official School of Applied Arts of Barcelona between 1942 and 1947. In 1957, he founded the Glosa Graphic Studio, dedicated to pharmaceutical advertising, in partnership with J.M. and E. Boada within Ediciones Glosa. He was also a founding member of the FAD graphic designers’ group, now ADG/FAD, and in 1963 he began his teaching career as a design professor at the Massana School.

His work has been published in magazines and yearbooks in countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and Spain, and is featured in the Museum of Modern Art of Barcelona, the Museum of Pescia (Italy), the Gallery of the Library of Congress in Washington, the Poster Museum in Warsaw, the Berlin Museum, and the Brno Museum (Czech Republic).

This past May 2024, Enric Huguet, one of the pioneers of illustration, advertising, and graphic design in our country, passed away at the age of 95.

Born in Barcelona, Enric Huguet studied at the Official School of Applied Arts of Barcelona between 1942 and 1947. In 1957, he founded the Glosa Graphic Studio, dedicated to pharmaceutical advertising, in partnership with J.M. and E. Boada within Ediciones Glosa. He was also a founding member of the FAD graphic designers’ group, now ADG/FAD, and in 1963 he began his teaching career as a design professor at the Massana School.

His work has been published in magazines and yearbooks in countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and Spain, and is featured in the Museum of Modern Art of Barcelona, the Museum of Pescia (Italy), the Gallery of the Library of Congress in Washington, the Poster Museum in Warsaw, the Berlin Museum, and the Brno Museum (Czech Republic).

The Uriach Foundation celebrated Internet Week with a small exhibition titled “Uriach Digital” at the Sant Cugat del Vallès facilities, showcasing the history and evolution of the Internet, as well as its effects and impact on Uriach.

The exhibition, held from May 13 to 24, 2024, featured a range of technologies predating the Internet: the company’s first computer, an IBM System/360; the first personal Apple Macintosh II computers; Uriach’s first website from 1998; as well as the most modern applications of the Internet today.

The exhibition was complemented by engaging presentations, tips, talks, and workshops organized by Uriach’s Data and Technology Department.

The Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals is organizing the “3rd Conference on Nutraceuticals: Bioactive Compounds and Nutraceuticals”. The main purpose of the conference is to present the most recent advances related to bioactive compounds, functional ingredients, and nutraceuticals, and to foster the exchange among scientists to facilitate discussion of the latest research findings in this field.

These conferences are part of the activities carried out by the Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals, whose mission is to promote knowledge of Nutraceuticals in the educational, professional, and social spheres through the dissemination, teaching, and research activities that support the progress and development of this discipline.

The event will take place on March 7 and 8 at the Centre Tarraconense El Seminari in Tarragona and is open to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, as well as professionals connected to bioactive compounds, functional ingredients, and nutraceuticals, including technical staff from the food and nutraceutical industries, as well as pharmacists and nutritionists.

The two previous editions have positioned this conference as one of the most important events in the field, and it will be broadcast live through the Chair’s website: https://www.catedranutraceutica.urv.cat.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Uriach Foundation has organized the exhibition “The Trementinaires: Between Mountains and Remedies” to highlight the legacy of these brave and entrepreneurial women who, between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, traveled across Catalonia offering natural remedies to support their families.

In today’s society, the trementinaires symbolize the bond with nature and the importance of preserving traditional knowledge. Their memory inspires the revival of natural medicine and the growing interest in more holistic approaches to health and well-being.

These women stand as an emblem of female empowerment, reminding us of women’s ability to lead, innovate, and sustain communities through their knowledge and skills.

Their influence also extends to the appreciation of biodiversity and the preservation of ecosystems—crucial aspects in the current fight against climate change. Their legacy promotes and exemplifies the much-needed return to our roots, to sustainability, and to gender equality in society.

The exhibition will be hosted at Uriach’s facilities in Sant Cugat del Vallès from March 4 to 15.

On November 29, the Uriach Foundation took part in a roundtable on corporate chairs held at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, within the framework of the XXIX Research Conference of Spanish Universities.

Representing the Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals, Javier Navarro, trustee of the Foundation, and Begoña Muguerza, director of the Chair, participated as speakers. In their respective presentations, they highlighted the main features and activities of the Chair, which have established it as a benchmark entity in the field of nutraceuticals in Spain. Their contributions captured the audience’s attention and generated great interest among those present.

On November 13, a commemorative session was held in the assembly hall of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Catalonia in memory of our Trustee, Dr. Julià García Rafanell, who passed away on March 25, 2023. Dr. Julià García Rafanell (1948–2023) became a full member of the Royal Academy in 2014.

The event featured a heartfelt address by Dr. Manuel Merlos Roca, former Uriach collaborator and corresponding member of the RAFC, who recalled the life and career of Dr. Julià García Rafanell, as well as his outstanding contributions to the Royal Academy and to the cultural life of the country, with special mention of his years at Uriach.

During the session, tribute was also paid to other academicians who passed away in 2023, including Dr. Xavier Bonafont Pujol, Dr. Carlos Miravitlles Torras, and Dr. Antoni Vila Casas.

The Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals (Uriach Foundation – Universitat Rovira i Virgili) will hold the “2nd Conference on Nutraceuticals: Bioactive Compounds and Nutraceuticals” on Thursday, April 20, and Friday, April 21.

This second edition aims to broaden our understanding of the impact of different bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals on health, while also exploring new opportunities for research related to these compounds and discussing the most recent findings in this field.

The conference will also serve as a meeting point for scientists working in this area. Sessions and roundtables will feature the participation of leading professionals in the sector, including some collaborators from Uriach’s Innovation Department.

The event will take place at the Centre Tarraconensis (El Seminari) in the city of Tarragona, and it is open to industry professionals, research centers, academics, and undergraduate and master’s students connected to the field.

On March 25, 2023, Dr. Julià García Rafanell passed away. He had been a distinguished trustee of the Uriach Foundation since 2013 and an outstanding member of the company since 1973.

The Uriach Foundation wishes to express its deepest sorrow at the loss of an exemplary colleague, a prominent member of the academic community in our country, and a person of extraordinary human quality.

Born in Barcelona in 1948, he studied Chemistry at the University of Barcelona, where he graduated with honors before earning his PhD in Chemistry, specializing in Biochemistry, with a Cum Laude distinction.

Dr. Julià García Rafanell devoted his entire professional career at Uriach to the development of molecules, first as Director of Pharmacology, later as Director of Research, and in his final stage as Director of Medical Affairs. Under his leadership, Uriach developed original molecules such as Triflusal, Flutrimazole, and Rupatadine—medicines that positioned the company as a pharmaceutical benchmark both nationally and internationally.

Upon his retirement in 2013, he became a trustee of the Uriach Foundation, where, thanks to his experience and knowledge, he soon became a key figure.

In the academic sphere, he was a professor at the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Barcelona from 1970 to 1973 and was appointed corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Catalonia in 2009.

May he rest in peace.