UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO/ EUSKAL HERRIKO UNIBERTSITATEA

Their core work

UPV/EHU is the major public research university of the Basque Country, with deep strengths in theoretical and computational physics, advanced materials science, and chemistry. Their H2020 portfolio reveals a university that produces foundational knowledge — density functional theory, quantum transport, nanoparticle design — and increasingly translates it into applied domains like additive manufacturing, sensors, and machine learning. They are a prolific host for Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows, making them a training ground for early-career researchers across Europe. Beyond fundamental science, they contribute to applied challenges in railway infrastructure, oil spill response, fisheries management, and space instrumentation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2014–2018), UPV/EHU focused heavily on experimental characterization — nanoparticle synthesis, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, magnetic hyperthermia, and planetary science via the Europlanet infrastructure. The later period (2019–2022) shows a clear pivot toward computational and data-driven methods: first-principles calculations, density functional theory, machine learning, and big data appear as dominant keywords. Simultaneously, applied themes like additive manufacturing, sensors, and cyber-physical systems emerged alongside the continuing fundamental physics work, suggesting the university is building bridges between theory and industrial application.

UPV/EHU is moving from lab-based characterization toward computational prediction and machine learning for materials design — expect growing capability in AI-accelerated materials discovery.

How they like to work

UPV/EHU coordinates 41% of its projects — an unusually high rate for a university, showing strong proposal-writing capability and willingness to lead. Their 19 MSCA Individual Fellowships and 13 Standard European Fellowships indicate they are a magnet for incoming researchers, while 12 MSCA-RISE projects show active international staff exchange. With 1,236 unique partners across 54 countries, they operate as a network hub rather than relying on a small set of repeat collaborators — ideal for consortium builders seeking a well-connected Spanish partner.

With 1,236 unique consortium partners spread across 54 countries, UPV/EHU has one of the densest collaboration networks among Spanish universities. Their reach extends well beyond Europe, reflecting extensive MSCA-RISE mobility partnerships with institutions in Latin America, Asia, and North America.

What sets them apart

UPV/EHU combines deep theoretical physics and computational chemistry expertise with a proven ability to coordinate EU projects — a rare pairing, as most theory-heavy groups participate rather than lead. Their Basque Country location gives access to a strong regional innovation ecosystem (including industrial clusters in advanced manufacturing and energy) that few purely academic institutions can match. For consortium builders, they offer a reliable Spanish coordinator with the administrative muscle of a large university and the intellectual depth of a focused research group.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HADE
  Largest single grant at EUR 1.67M — an ERC-level project in harmonic analysis and differential equations, demonstrating world-class mathematical capability.
• 2D-INK
  Coordinator of a EUR 665K project redesigning 2D materials into semiconducting inks — a direct bridge from fundamental materials science to printable electronics manufacturing.
• SUSPOL
  Coordinated a EUR 744K European Joint Doctorate in sustainable polymers and organocatalysis, showing leadership in training the next generation of green chemistry researchers.