President José Montilla of the Generalitat -regional government- of Catalonia cut the ribbon this morning on the Esther Koplowitz Centre, a complex devoted to biomedical research in Barcelona. The ceremony was attended by Cristina Garmendia, minister for science and education, and Mayor Jordi Hereu of Barcelona.

Using this new cutting-edge equipment, more than 400 researchers from the Clinical Hospital of Barcelona, the University of Barcelona School of Medicine and the Biomedical Research Institute of Barcelona will be able to develop their scientific potential to the full.

In the approximately 10,000 square metres of the Esther Koplowitz Centre, accredited researchers will engage in work on subjects including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, metabolism, diabetes and diseases of the digestive tract. The new centre anticipates sealing cooperation agreements with the world's most-advanced institutions, such as the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and university centres in Israel.

The new centre is the result of the united efforts of Esther Koplowitz, the doctors of the Clinical Hospital and various public and private institutions, including the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Ministry for Science and Innovation, the Carlos III Health Institute and the University of Barcelona.

The Esther Koplowitz Foundation is financed exclusively by funds contributed by its founder and president. With this donation to biomedical research, Esther Koplowitz has now donated close to 100 million euro in social infrastructure for the disadvantaged and for scientific development, which makes her a leading figure amongst philanthropists.