FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA D'INVESTIGACIO QUIMICA

Their core work

ICIQ is a leading Catalan research institute specializing in catalysis and sustainable chemistry, with deep expertise in using light and electricity to drive chemical reactions. Their core work spans designing new catalytic methods — from organocatalysis to gold and transition metal catalysis — and applying them to pressing challenges like converting CO2 into fuels and producing solar chemicals. They serve as a major training hub for early-career researchers through extensive Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships, and increasingly bridge fundamental photochemistry with applied energy conversion technologies like photoelectrochemical cells.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2018), ICIQ's H2020 portfolio centered on fundamental catalysis — nanomaterials, ionic liquids, gold catalysis, and general organocatalysis — with exploratory work in nanomedicine and big data for catalysis. From 2018 onward, the institute's focus sharpened dramatically toward photochemistry, radical chemistry, solar fuels, and electrocatalysis, reflecting a strategic pivot to light- and electricity-driven sustainable chemistry. This evolution shows ICIQ moving from broad catalysis research toward applied energy conversion and green chemistry, with photoelectrochemical cells and CO2 reduction becoming central themes.

ICIQ is converging on light- and electricity-powered sustainable chemistry, making them a strong future partner for green hydrogen, CO2 valorization, and solar fuel projects.

How they like to work

ICIQ is overwhelmingly a project leader: 54 of 71 projects (76%) are coordinated by them, mostly individual ERC grants and MSCA fellowships rather than large multi-partner consortia. Their participant roles tend to be in larger training networks (PHOTOTRAIN, eSCALED, ELCOREL) and industrial pilot projects (POROUS4APP, CREATE). With 190 unique partners across 30 countries, they maintain a broad but principal-investigator-driven network — expect them to lead the chemistry workpackage rather than play a supporting role.

ICIQ has collaborated with 190 unique partners across 30 countries, reflecting wide European reach with particularly strong connections to training networks and energy research consortia. Their network spans academic institutions, industrial partners in catalysis and energy, and the broader BIST (Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology) ecosystem.

What sets them apart

ICIQ occupies a rare niche at the intersection of molecular catalysis and solar energy conversion — few European institutes combine such deep expertise in organocatalysis, photochemistry, and photoelectrochemistry under one roof. Their exceptional ERC and MSCA track record (over 30 individual fellowships and grants) signals world-class principal investigators who attract top international talent. For consortium builders, ICIQ brings both fundamental chemistry firepower and increasing translational capacity through flow chemistry and ERC Proof of Concept projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• A-LEAF
  Flagship artificial photosynthesis project coordinated by ICIQ (EUR 880K) developing earth-abundant photoelectrochemical cells for CO2 reduction and solar fuel production.
• GREENLIGHT_REDCAT
  Largest single ERC grant (EUR 2M) pursuing cobalt-based catalysts for light-driven reduction chemistry — represents ICIQ's core photocatalysis strength.
• CATA-LUX
  Major ERC grant (EUR 1.9M) pioneering light-driven asymmetric organocatalysis, bridging two of ICIQ's primary expertise areas into a single program.