Former UAB rector and Catalan universities minister Carles Solà dies at 80

Academic career and bioprocess research

Carles Solà i Ferrando, a chemist, academic, and former regional minister, died on 12 September 2026 in Sant Cugat del Vallès. Solà was born in Xàtiva in the province of Valencia on 28 November 1945. Sources reported his age at death between 79 and 81 years, with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona confirming his age as 80. Solà completed his undergraduate studies and earned his doctorate in chemical sciences at the Universitat de València. In 1977, he moved to Catalonia to take up a position as a professor of technical chemistry at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), where he developed the majority of his academic career. During his tenure, Solà promoted the creation of the Department of Chemical Engineering (later the Department of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering) and introduced Spain's first undergraduate degree program in biotechnology. His research specialized in cellular engineering and bioprocesses as part of the Cellular and Bioprocess Engineering Group, focusing on the production of next-generation vaccines and the biological capture of carbon dioxide through microalgae systems for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. He remained an active faculty member until his retirement in 2016, after which he was named professor emeritus.

University leadership and institutional building

In 1994, Solà was elected rector of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, leading the institution across two terms until 2002. His eight-year administration oversaw substantial organizational and infrastructural changes across the campus. During this period, the university established several new teaching and scientific centers, including the School of Engineering, the Doctoral and Continuing Education School, the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, and the Scientific Information Port. Campus public spaces also transformed under his tenure with the opening of the Plaça Cívica and the installation of the Columns of the UAB, a monument created by sculptor Andreu Alfaro that became the primary visual symbol of the university. At the national and regional level, Solà served between 1996 and 1998 as the second president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities. He also took a leading role in creating inter-university cooperative networks, serving as an organizer of both the Catalan Association of Public Universities and the Xarxa Vives network of universities.

Political trajectory and ministerial administration

Solà's political involvement began during the Franco dictatorship, when he joined the clandestine Socialist Party of the Valencian Country. He later broke with the party following its merger with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. In December 2003, he accepted a proposal from Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya leader Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira to join the regional government. Appointed by President Pasqual Maragall as Minister of Universities, Research, and the Information Society, Solà became the first Valencian minister in the Generalitat of Catalonia. He headed the department until April 2006 during the first tripartite coalition administration. In this post, Solà guided public university coordination and led the transition toward convergence with the European Higher Education Area. His ministerial administration overhauled university financing by introducing a guaranteed minimum subsidy per student and creating a dedicated Territorial Fund designed to support public universities located outside the Barcelona metropolitan area.

Tributes and legacy

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and regional political parties confirmed Solà's death on Saturday morning, offering condolences to his family and colleagues. Current UAB rector Javier Lafuente called the news deeply sorrowful, remembering Solà as a mentor, guide, and colleague who supported his career when he first joined the university. In an official statement, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya recognized Solà's combined academic and political career, noting that he promoted education as a tool of equality and justice and as a foundation for innovation.