The Spanish System of Science, Technology and Innovation (SECTI, in its Spanish acronym) is composed by all public and private agents coordinating, funding and executing -together with their networks, structures and actions for promoting, developing and supporting- RD&I in Spain, together with all their promotion, development and support networks, structures and actions.

Explore the Spanish network of Public R&D&I Policies through the Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation Information System (SICTI).

Below, in this section, you can find information about the public research organizations that carry out research in Spain:

• The Spanish Research Bodies
• Severo Ochoa Centers and Units of Excellence
• The University System

Public Research Bodies (Organismos Públicos de Investigación, OPIs) are organizations that directly carry out scientific and technical research, provide technological services, and carry out other, complementary activities necessary for society’s scientific and technological progress. They are set up by the national government and the coordination of their actions is the responsibility of the Ministry of Science and Innovation. Some of this PROs are form by more than 100 different research institute:

• The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC),
  check for research institutes and national centers here
• The Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT),
• The Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII),
  check the different research groups per area of research here
• The Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC)

SOMMa is the ‘Severo Ochoa’ Centres and ‘María de Maeztu’ Units of Excellence Alliance have the mission of internationally promoting, strengthening, and maximising the value and impact of their ground-breaking research. The Ministry of Science and Innovation awards this accreditation to recognise the best centres and units that stand out for the relevance and impact, at international level, of the research results obtained during the previous evaluated reference period.
You can explore the PROs that have gained this accreditation of excellence here:

75% of the Spanish research activity takes place at the university, and around 45% of the research workforce is found at the universities. University professionals can teach and research. There are 50 public universities distributed throughout the country; you can find a map with the list of universities here.

You can also check the research performance per university here.