Minister Diana Morant awards the María de Maeztu Accreditation to the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona

_{Main image: Luis Fonseca, director of the IMB-CNM; Diana Morant, Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities; and Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, at the presentation of the María de Maeztu Accreditation. Credit: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.}

The Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities presided over the ceremony of recognition of the Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu Accreditations, awarded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), through the State Research Agency (AEI), to centers and research units of excellence in Spain, this Thursday at the CaixaForum in Madrid. Luis Fonseca, director of the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC), was in charge of collecting the Accreditation of the institute.

The minister highlighted “the profound transforming capacity” of the accredited institutions to face the challenges of the country from a scientific point of view. Morant has detailed that these accreditations granted by the Government are “the highest recognition for centers and units of excellence and are awarded after an extremely rigorous evaluation process”.

“It is a thank you from our country to these institutions for the impact of their research on the welfare of citizens, their contribution to the development of a competitive and innovative industry and their great ability to attract national and international research talent,” she has maintained.

The Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona was recognized as a María de Maeztu unit of excellence in April this year, culminating a process that has involved past management teams as well as all the institute's staff. The ceremony was attended by Fonseca and Mar Álvarez, as deputy director.

The distinction and associated resources will allow the institute to better exploit its unique technological capabilities in the field of micro and nanoelectronics, including developments in photonics and quantum, with applications in health, environment, energy, mobility, frontiers of physics and security. It is also a support to strengthen the attraction and training of talent and reinforce the positioning in the international ecosystem.

After the last resolution, in addition to IMB-CNM, the following entities have joined the SOMMa Alliance: Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA), Center for Research in Science and Multiscale Engineering of Barcelona (CCEM), Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering (Polymat) and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior Research (CIMCYC).

Other CSIC centers accredited this year are the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC-CSIC-UV), the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT-CSIC-UAM) and the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC).

Gallery

• Luis Fonseca, Director of the IMB-CNM, Diana Morant, Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, and Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, at the presentation of the María de Maeztu accreditation. Credit: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
• Group photo with the directors of the accredited centers, including Luis Fonseca, together with Minister Diana Morant.
• Luis Fonseca (left) and Mar Alvarez (Deputy Director, second from right) with the management team of the Institute of Nanosciences and Materials of Aragon (INMA).
• Group photo with the accredited Centers of Excellence, including Luis Fonseca (left), Minister Diana Morant and CSIC President Eloísa del Pino.