ARI and CRG sign agreement to host two top researchers in Andorra for genomics research on high-mountain

Andorra Research and Innovation (ARI) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) have signed a cooperation agreement to launch the pilot phase of the Mountain Genomics Talent Programme. The deal, formalized Thursday at CRG's Barcelona headquarters, will host two high-level researchers with dual scientific affiliation to both institutions. They will conduct their primary work in Andorra for an initial three-year period, mainly at facilities tied to the Àrea d’Innovació Andorra Altitud, whose future hub will occupy the rehabilitated CATSA building.

CRG director Luis Serrano and ARI manager Marta Domènech signed the pact, establishing a platform that merges global expertise with local assets. CRG will provide scientific direction, access to specialized infrastructure and technology, and support for securing European and international funding. ARI will offer workspaces, logistical aid, and other resources in the Principality. The researchers, hired by ARI, will co-publish and co-lead projects under both institutions' names, focusing on genomics, high-mountain biodiversity, and environmental health to yield practical, market-viable solutions. The programme also aims to encourage the return of Andorran talent.

The signing attracted Andorra's Economy, Presidency, Work and Housing Minister Conxita Marsol and State Secretary for Business and Economic Diversification Marc Saura, alongside Catalan Research and Universities Councillor Núria Montserrat and her secretary general, Oriol Escardíbul. It coincided with the start of the tender process to appoint an architect for CATSA's transformation into the national innovation centre.

Marsol called the agreement a "strategic national commitment" within Andorra's National Plan for Innovation and Economic Diversification, positioning research as an economic growth engine. Domènech noted it would draw international talent, create high-value knowledge, and position Andorra as a "living laboratory" for genomics and environmental health innovation. Serrano highlighted long-term ambitions, including a potential Mountain Genomics Institute or CRG outpost in Andorra, while linking local efforts to European data networks and initiatives like the Catalan Earth Biogenome Initiative. "Geographically, we are close neighbors, but institutionally this is a major leap," he said.

Montserrat praised the pilot for advancing talent exchange in biomedicine and biotechnology, paving the way for joint projects to help Catalonia join Europe's top 50 most innovative regions by 2030.

Andorra's Pyrenean setting—with its altitudes, diverse microclimates, and preserved ecosystems—offers a natural testing ground for genomic technologies, environmental monitoring, and nature-based solutions amid climate pressures. The effort aligns with national priorities in hyper-specialized areas such as sports, nature as innovation labs, life and health technologies, and sustainable construction, fostering a public-private governance model with sustained R&D investment.