The Observatory of European Complementary Social Pension Plan Systems at the University of Barcelona awards the "GRACIAS 2025" prize to Occident

"The prize recognises the insurer's role as the Observatory's first sponsor."

The Observatory of European Complementary Social Pension Plan Systems, a research structure created by agreement of the Board of the University of Barcelona, celebrates its fifth anniversary this year by awarding the "GRACIAS 2025" prize to Occident, GCO's insurance company, in recognition of its role as the Observatory's first sponsor.

The Observatory's fundamental objectives are training, research, and outreach regarding the European social pension plan model based on the three pillars. Since its inception, it has been established as a multidisciplinary and collaborative platform, comprised of sponsors, affiliated entities, universities, and other observatories.

In the context of this anniversary, the Observatory's Permanent Committee wished to highlight the trust placed in it by José María Serra, non-executive chairman of GCO, whose support was decisive in launching the project and ensuring its development to date.

"This recognition expresses our most sincere gratitude towards Occident, for having paved the way in sponsoring our activities, and to all our employees and affiliated entities, who make the Observatory's existence and vitality possible", said Xavier Varea Soler, director of the Observatory.

In the words of Daniel Ciprés, director of Occident's Life Insurance Business: "Everyone at Occident is delighted to receive the GRACIAS 2025 prize. From the outset, we have trusted in the Observatory's potential as a space for social pension plan research, training, and outreach, convinced that promoting these types of initiatives is key to the future of the sector and society. We'd like to thank the University of Barcelona and the Observatory for this recognition, which encourages us to continue collaborating in building a solid, innovative, and sustainable complementary social pension plan model."

The "GRACIAS 2025" prize will be delivered on 3 October 2025, during the Pensions 2025 Special Conference, which will be held in the main lecture hall of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Barcelona.