RAED Forum on Sustainability: Science, Business, and Society Facing the Challenges of the Sustainable Transition

Description and objectives of the conference

The Royal European Academy of Doctors is promoting the creation of the RAED Forum on Sustainability, a new academic, scientific, institutional and social initiative conceived with a vocation for continuity and aimed at promoting rigorous, interdisciplinary and independent reflection on the major challenges of the sustainable transition.

Under the motto “Science, business and society facing the challenges of the sustainable transition”, the Forum is created with the aim of positioning the RAED as a reference space for analysis, debate and knowledge transfer around a decisive issue for the present and the future. Sustainability cannot be understood solely as an environmental challenge, but as a cross-cutting reality that affects the economic model, technological development, public health, social cohesion, governance, law, ethics and intergenerational responsibility.

The initiative seeks to bring together the RAED’s academic knowledge with the practical experience of companies, foundations, associations, public administrations, universities, scientific institutions and organisations committed to sustainable transformation. Its objective is to foster qualified dialogue between science, innovation, the productive sector, institutions and civil society, always from the standpoint of rigour, independence, scientific evidence and a plurality of perspectives.

The public presentation of the Forum takes place through a foundational conference of an academic, institutional and business nature, conceived as the first public-facing event of this new permanent line of work of the Royal European Academy of Doctors. The session will present the Forum’s objectives, guiding principles and first lines of action, as well as highlight collaboration between academics, business representatives, social organisations and public institutions. This conference inaugurates a stable cycle of reflection and dialogue that will continue in future editions, designed to periodically explore the different areas of sustainability in greater depth from an academic, business and institutional perspective.

In this initial phase, the Forum has the contribution of companies, foundations, associations and leading institutions in their respective fields of activity, committed to sustainability, responsible innovation, the transformation of the productive model and the promotion of high-impact social initiatives. Their participation reinforces the Forum’s vocation as a meeting space between the Academy, the business sector, institutions and civil society, aimed at promoting rigorous, cross-cutting and constructive dialogue in response to the challenges of the sustainable transition.

The programme is structured around two initial round tables, devoted to some of the main axes of contemporary sustainability: economic sustainability and the transformation of the productive model, as well as technology, innovation and artificial intelligence at the service of sustainability. The conference then continues with three dialogues between academics from the RAED Governing Board and business executives, conceived as spaces for direct reflection on key issues such as society, governance, welfare, social cohesion and ethical responsibility within the framework of global sustainability, as well as on the role of organisations in facing the challenges of the sustainable transition.

With this Forum, the RAED aspires to consolidate a stable space for thought, dissemination and collaboration that will make it possible to generate conclusions, reflection papers, specialised meetings and annual activities. Sustainability requires realistic, shared and evidence-based responses, and the Academy contributes to this debate through its scientific authority, interdisciplinary character and commitment to the responsible transfer of knowledge. Following this inaugural conference, the Forum plans to develop future editions in different cities where the RAED has a headquarters or institutional presence, thereby strengthening its territorial reach and its capacity for dialogue with diverse academic, business and social realities.

The foundational conference features the participation of RAED academics, institutional authorities, representatives of organisations and companies promoting the Forum, and guests from the academic, business and social spheres. The participation of Her Excellency Ms Sara Aagesen Muñoz, Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, is also expected at the institutional closing session of the event.

With this initiative, the Royal European Academy of Doctors reaffirms its commitment to placing knowledge at the service of society and contributing, from a plural, scientific, humanistic and responsible perspective, to the construction of a more sustainable future.

Conference programme

Foundational conference presenting the RAED Forum on Sustainability
Royal European Academy of Doctors
Barcelona, 12 June 2026
Foment del Treball – Via Laietana, 32 principal – Assembly Hall

09:00 h – Reception of attendees. Institutional reception of academics, authorities, representatives of organisations and companies promoting the Forum, speakers and guests.

09:30 h – Institutional opening. Welcome address by the Presidency of the Royal European Academy of Doctors. His Excellency Dr Alfredo Rocafort Nicolau.

Presentation of the institutional purpose of the initiative and of the creation of the RAED Forum on Sustainability as a new stable line of action of the Academy.

Address by the Numerary Member – His Excellency Dr Antoni Garrell Guiu

Presentation of the Forum’s objectives, its guiding principles and its first lines of action.

Address by a senior representative of the Catalan Administration (to be confirmed).

Start of Part 1: Round tables

10:00 h – Round Table I. Sustainability and transformation of the productive model

Objective: to analyse how to reconcile sustainability, competitiveness, innovation, social cohesion and the transformation of the productive fabric.

The round table addresses issues such as the ecological transition in business, the circular economy, decarbonisation, new production models, efficiency in the use of resources and the impact of sustainability on economic decision-making.

Speakers:

• His Excellency Dr José Mª Baldasano Recio. Numerary Member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors and Emeritus Professor of Environmental Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Graduate and Doctor in Chemical Sciences, Engineer and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering. His career focuses on environmental engineering, air quality and climate change. Founder of the first Doctoral Programme in Environmental Engineering in Spain and first director of the Earth Sciences Department at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. Adviser and consultant to national and international organisations and companies. “Rey Jaime I” Award for Environmental Protection (1997) and collective Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the IPCC (2007).
• Ms Eva Garrell. Graduate in Political and Administration Sciences from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, with international training at Stanford University and King’s College London, and specialisation in sustainable business from BSM-UPF. She is currently Director of Business Development with Positive Impact at Ecointelligent Growth and founder of Acción en Verde. Her career focuses on corporate sustainability, positive impact, internationalisation and the integration of environmental, social and governance criteria in organisations committed to responsible transformation.
• Mr Daniel Cordeiro. Deputy General Manager and head of the Sustainability Directorate at Banco Sabadell, a position from which he promotes the organisation’s cross-cutting transformation and progress in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) actions. Daniel joined the bank in 2010 in the strategic consulting team and has since held various roles in the Bank’s corporate development area. Before joining Banco Sabadell’s management team, Daniel developed his career in the financial and consulting sectors. Daniel holds an MBA from IESE Business School and has completed the specialised Sustainability programme at MIT Professional Education, in addition to holding a degree in Business Administration from the Portuguese Catholic University.
• Ms Cinta Bosch. Sustainability Manager at AECOC, the Association of Manufacturers and Distributors. Graduate in Higher Industrial Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, she has led AECOC’s sustainability area for several years, following an initial career linked to strategic consulting, process improvement and organisational projects. Her work focuses on supporting companies in integrating sustainability into business strategy, with special attention to the circular economy, efficiency, competitiveness and the transition towards more responsible business models.

10:55 h – Coffee break. Networking break among academics, speakers, institutional representatives, promoting organisations and guests.

11:05 h – Round Table II. Science and technology at the service of sustainability and the Circular Economy

Objective: to address the role of technology as a tool for advancing towards more effective sustainability, without overlooking its limits, risks and ethical requirements.
The round table addresses issues such as digitalisation, energy efficiency, artificial intelligence, resource optimisation, technological innovation applied to sustainability and responsible governance of technological development.

Composition:

• His Excellency Dr David López López. Numerary Member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors, Associate Professor at ESADE and Associate Dean of ESADE’s MBA. Doctor in Digital Strategy, engineer in Electronics and Telecommunications; he also has training in project management, business administration and technological innovation. His career combines academic activity, technological entrepreneurship and investment in innovative companies, with special attention to digital transformation, artificial intelligence, strategy, digital marketing and e-commerce.
• His Excellency Dr Jordi Martí Pidelaserra. Numerary Member and member of the Governing Board of the Royal European Academy of Doctors. Doctor in Economics and Business Sciences and Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona, his career focuses on financial economics, accounting, business valuation, corporate sustainability and ESG metrics. He has developed extensive teaching, research and academic management activity, with special attention to economic-financial analysis and corporate social responsibility in the business sphere.
• Ms Patricia Vallejo Nájera (to be confirmed). Director of Communication and Institutional Relations at AFCO, the Spanish Association of Corrugated Cardboard Packaging Manufacturers, a role she has held since 2004. Her career is linked to the institutional representation of the corrugated cardboard sector and the promotion of sustainable, recyclable packaging solutions aligned with the principles of the circular economy. She provides the perspective of a key industry in the value chain of mass consumption, logistics, distribution and the transition towards more responsible production and consumption models.
• (Speaker to be confirmed)

12:00 h – Break (without leaving the room). Networking break among academics, speakers, institutional representatives, promoting organisations and guests.

12:05 h – Start of Part 2

Welcome address by the President of Foment del Treball Nacional, His Excellency Mr Josep Sánchez Llibre.

Moderation:

• Mr Ramón Pellicer. Journalist with an extensive career in radio and television, especially linked to Televisió de Catalunya, where he has been one of the most recognisable faces of the news services. He has presented and edited various current affairs programmes, including Telenotícies, and also spent a period at Televisión Española as presenter of Telediario. His career is characterised by journalistic rigour, the ability to conduct debates and interviews, and a consolidated professional presence in Catalan and Spanish audiovisual journalism.

12:10 h – Three dialogues of 18 minutes each between academics and business executives

Objective: to analyse from a multidimensional perspective the different vectors that converge in sustainability.

Dialogue 1: Sustainability and transformation: science, industry and shared responsibility

• Her Excellency Dr Maria dels Àngels Calvo Torras. Numerary Member and Vice-President of the Governing Board of the Royal European Academy of Doctors. Doctor in Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine, she is Professor Emerita at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and a leading figure in applied microbiology, animal health, mycology, microbiota and probiotics. Throughout her career, she has developed intensive teaching and research activity, with special attention to the study of microorganisms of health, food and environmental interest, as well as to their application in areas linked to health and biological safety.
• Mr Jose-Antonio Campo. Operations Director at ISMAX, with extensive experience in the paper and cardboard sector. He has held technical, production and operations management responsibilities in industrial companies in the sector, giving him a particularly practical vision of production efficiency, resource management, operational innovation and circular economy applied to industry. His participation brings to the dialogue the business and industrial perspective of a company involved in the sustainable transformation of materials, processes and production models.

Dialogue 2: Food sustainability understood as a holistic model and not only as an environmental issue

• His Excellency Dr Rafael Urrialde de Andrés. Numerary Member and Vice-President of the Royal European Academy of Doctors. Doctor in Biological Sciences, specialist in food safety, nutrition and sustainability, he is Associate Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and at CEU San Pablo University. His career combines university teaching, applied research and management experience in companies in the food sector, where he has held positions of responsibility linked to health, nutrition, food safety and sustainability.
• Mr Octavi Marti. Operations Director at Damm. His career is linked to industrial transformation, operational efficiency, technological innovation and the modernisation of production processes in a company with a broad industrial presence. At Damm, he has highlighted the role of automation, integrated management systems and advanced monitoring technologies in the company’s evolution towards a more efficient, diversified and international production model. His participation provides the perspective of a benchmark industrial company in key areas such as innovation, resource efficiency, quality, sustainability and the adaptation of production processes to current challenges.

Dialogue 3: Electrification as a driver of competitiveness, sustainability and strategic autonomy

• His Excellency Dr Joaquim Gironella Coll. Numerary Member and member of the Governing Board of the Royal European Academy of Doctors. Doctor in Medicine and Surgery, specialist in Urology and Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Catalonia. His career combines medical practice, academic reflection and dissemination in the field of health, with special attention to medicine, prevention, quality of life and the relationship between scientific knowledge and social welfare. His participation brings to the dialogue a humanistic and health-oriented perspective on sustainability, also understood as a commitment to health, intergenerational responsibility and balanced progress.

• (Speaker to be confirmed)

13:05 h – Presentation of conclusions

His Excellency Dr Rodolfo Fernández-Cuellas

Summary of the main ideas presented during the conference.

Formulation of the first lines of continuity of the RAED Forum on Sustainability, with a view to conferences, specialised meetings, reflection papers, outreach activities and possible lines of institutional collaboration.

13:15 h – Institutional closing session

Presented by:

• Mr Ramón Pellicer

Address by the Presidency of the Royal European Academy of Doctors.

Address by the academic Director of the Forum, His Excellency Mr Antoni Garrell Guiu.

Representative of the Catalan Administration (to be confirmed).

Address by Her Excellency Ms Sara Aagesen Muñoz, Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

13:45 h – End of the institutional event

14:00 to 15:00 – Institutional lunch chaired by the Vice-President Her Excellency Ms Sara Aagesen Muñoz.