UNIVERSITAT JAUME I DE CASTELLON

Their core work

Universitat Jaume I (UJI) is a Spanish public university in Castellón with strong research groups in advanced materials — particularly perovskite photovoltaics and solar fuel chemistry — alongside applied digital technologies like wearable computing, machine learning, and geoinformatics. They contribute significantly to mental health and workplace well-being research, running multi-country intervention studies. Their materials science work spans from lab-scale photocatalysis to scalable thin-film solar cell fabrication, making them a bridge between fundamental chemistry and energy device engineering.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), UJI focused on geoinformatics, smart cities, ceramic membrane water treatment, and high-performance computing — practical engineering with an environmental angle. From 2019 onward, the university pivoted strongly toward advanced materials for energy (perovskites, solar fuels, thermoelectrics) and digital health technologies (wearables, machine learning, eHealth). The shift signals a deliberate move from infrastructure-oriented research toward deep materials science and data-driven applications.

UJI is consolidating around advanced energy materials (perovskites, thermoelectrics, solar fuels) and machine learning applications, positioning itself as a materials-to-device research partner for the clean energy transition.

How they like to work

UJI primarily joins consortia as a participant (21 of 32 projects), contributing specialized expertise rather than leading large efforts. However, their 5 coordinator roles — including a €2M ERC grant (No-LIMIT) and an ERC Consolidator grant (UncorrelaTEd) — show they can lead when the science is in their core materials expertise. With 355 unique partners across 44 countries, they are a well-connected hub that works broadly rather than sticking to a small circle of repeat collaborators.

UJI has collaborated with 355 unique partners across 44 countries, giving them one of the more extensive networks for a mid-sized Spanish university. Their partnerships span Western Europe heavily but reach globally, reflecting the international nature of their MSCA and ERC-funded work.

What sets them apart

UJI's rare combination of perovskite photovoltaics expertise and applied psychology/workplace health research makes them an unusual partner — they can contribute to both deep materials science and human-factors components within the same consortium. Their ERC-level track record in energy materials (No-LIMIT, UncorrelaTEd) gives them scientific credibility that punches above their university's size ranking. For anyone building a solar energy or advanced materials consortium, UJI brings proven perovskite know-how at competitive Spanish cost levels.

Highlights from their portfolio

• No-LIMIT
  Largest single grant (€2M ERC Consolidator), coordinated by UJI — demonstrates leadership in halide perovskite photovoltaics at the highest European research level.
• UncorrelaTEd
  ERC-funded coordinator role in thermoelectrics (€857K) — signals a new strategic research direction in energy harvesting beyond photovoltaics.
• A-WEAR
  Largest participation budget (€753K) in an MSCA network combining wearables, privacy, and edge computing — shows UJI's digital technology breadth.