CIC energiGUNE Marks 15 Years of Turning Scientific Excellence into Technology and Impact for the Basque Country
More than 1,500 publications, over 10% C1 scientific output, and 10 researchers featured in the Stanford–Elsevier ranking demonstrate the scientific excellence built by the centre since 2011
Thirty-nine patent families and the creation of BCARE and Basquevolt reflect the transfer of this knowledge to industry and the Basque economic fabric
The pioneering commitment to sodium and solid-state technologies has today translated into European leadership through the creation and promotion of start-ups such as Basquevolt
CIC energiGUNE, a leading research centre in electrochemical and thermal energy storage and conversion, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year following a trajectory in which it has combined the generation of scientific excellence with its transformation into new capabilities and opportunities for industry.
Since beginning its activities in 2011, CIC energiGUNE has developed internationally recognised scientific capabilities and research infrastructures in the Basque Country in strategic areas for the energy transition, with an early commitment to sodium and solid-state batteries. Fifteen years later, this commitment has enabled the development of a centre with more than 1,500 scientific publications, a portfolio of 39 patent families, a growing presence in Europe’s leading research programmes, and two companies that have emerged directly from the knowledge generated in its laboratories: BCARE and Basquevolt.
“Since 2011, under the scientific leadership of Michel Armand and with the sustained support of the Basque Government and Álava Provincial Council, we committed to sodium and solid-state technologies long before they became European industrial priorities. Fifteen years later, that decision has made us a leading European centre, backed by the knowledge generated, our capacity to lead major projects and, above all, by our ability to transform that science into patents, diversification of services and products within Basque companies, and the creation of new businesses. For me, that is the best measure of CIC energiGUNE’s success,” said Nuria Gisbert, Director General of CIC energiGUNE.
Fifteen Years of Scientific Excellence from the Basque Country
Scientific output is one of the principal indicators of CIC energiGUNE’s evolution. Since 2011, the centre’s teams have produced more than 1,500 scientific publications, with a strong presence in the most prestigious international journals in their respective fields.
Over these fifteen years, more than 10% of CIC energiGUNE’s scientific output has consisted of C1 publications, a category that identifies papers published in the highest-quality and most selective scientific journals within their disciplines. This figure reflects not only the volume of knowledge generated, but above all the quality and international relevance of the research carried out in the Basque Country.
This scientific standing is also reflected in the presence of the centre’s researchers in leading international indicators. In the latest public edition of Stanford University and Elsevier’s Ranking of the World Scientists, ten CIC energiGUNE researchers are listed among the world’s most influential scientists, double the number included in the previous edition.
Among them is Michel Armand, Honorary Scientific Director of CIC energiGUNE and one of the world’s leading figures in electrochemistry and batteries. He joined the centre in 2011 and led the creation of the polymer electrolyte group, which is today at the forefront of European solid-state research. Regarded as the father of solid-state batteries because of his contributions in this field, Armand has been recognised as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for five consecutive years. His career is also closely linked to two of the recipients of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: he shares patents with John Goodenough and a publication with Stanley Whittingham, while Goodenough publicly acknowledged his pioneering role in polymer electrolytes and in improving LFP technology. His scientific career therefore forms part of the same scientific evolution of lithium batteries recognised by the Nobel Prize in 2019. The commitment to sodium was equally early: as early as 2012, a CIC energiGUNE paper on Na-ion batteries was among the ten most-read articles in Energy & Environmental Science since its publication.
The ability to attract and consolidate top-level scientific talent is another of the assets developed over these fifteen years. At present, ten CIC energiGUNE researchers hold Ikerbasque recognition from the Basque Foundation for Science, promoted by the Basque Government, including six in the category of Ikerbasque Research Professor.
These include Montserrat Casas-Cabanas, Scientific Director of the Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion Area and a leading expert in crystallography and battery materials design, who in 2026 also received the Sagrario Martínez Carrera–Anton Paar Award for her scientific career; Elena Palomo del Barrio, Scientific Director of the Thermal Area and an international specialist in thermal energy storage and conversion, has led multiple research projects and held international responsibilities within some of the leading thermal storage networks, while also featuring consistently among the leading researchers in Mechanical Engineering in the Stanford–Elsevier rankings; Daniel Carriazo, specialising in materials and electrolytes for next-generation batteries, has held scientific leadership positions in European initiatives such as Graphene Flagship; Javier Carrasco, responsible for computational modelling and simulation applied to energy materials, has received international recognition for his work in atomic-scale modelling; Paramaconi Rodríguez, head of electrochemical hydrogen technology development, has built an extensive international career in electrocatalysis and, since joining the centre in 2022, has driven its new strategic electrochemical hydrogen line; and Max García-Melchor, who leads research in atomistic modelling, artificial intelligence and accelerated catalyst discovery, joined the centre in 2024 after eight years at Trinity College Dublin and applies advanced computational methods and artificial intelligence to discover new catalysts for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals.
Excellence is also measured by the ability to compete in the most demanding research programmes. CIC energiGUNE actively participates in Horizon Europe and in initiatives of the European Research Council (ERC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC), combining fundamental research with highly disruptive scientific developments.
Among these is NODRY, a project funded through an ERC Proof of Concept grant and coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome, in which CIC energiGUNE contributes its experimental capabilities to develop a more sustainable new generation of liquid chromatography. This is complemented by projects coordinated by the centre itself and funded by the EIC Pathfinder programme, such as HIPERZAB, focused on the development of electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries, and WASTE2H2, which investigates a disruptive technology for transforming plastic waste into clean hydrogen and high-value carbon materials.
European activity is further strengthened through the leadership of major initiatives directly linked to those early strategic commitments: MUSIC, focused on sodium-based technologies; and HELENA and SOLIDBAT, aimed at developing different generations of solid-state batteries. The three projects, all coordinated by CIC energiGUNE, account for more than €22 million in European funding. They are complemented by projects related to new thermal energy storage technologies, hydrogen, advanced materials and industrial decarbonisation.
This position has also been recognised by the European Commission itself. Its Joint Research Centre (JRC) has highlighted CIC energiGUNE as an “outstanding example” in battery research and development and as one of Europe’s leading centres in this field.
Alongside knowledge generation, the training of new generations of scientists is another of the centre’s contributions to the Basque ecosystem. Between 2022 and 2025 alone, 30 doctoral theses were completed at CIC energiGUNE. This is complemented by the training of master’s students, postdoctoral researchers and early-career scientists, as well as participation in advanced international training programmes such as the Erasmus Mundus Master in Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion. Part of this knowledge returns directly to the productive sector: during the same period, 20 researchers trained or professionally developed at CIC energiGUNE joined Basque companies.
On this scientific foundation, the centre has progressively expanded its areas of research. In electrochemical storage, it currently works on technologies such as solid-state, sodium-ion, lithium-sulphur, zinc-air and redox-flow batteries, as well as supercapacitors, covering activities from the discovery and understanding of new materials to their processing, prototyping and validation.
In thermal energy storage and conversion, CIC energiGUNE has developed solutions including phase-change materials for thermal storage and management, new flexible materials with potential applications in textiles and electronics, technologies based on intrusion-extrusion phenomena for mechanical storage and damping systems with significantly reduced oil use, as well as solutions for industrial waste heat recovery and storage.
Since 2022, the centre has also strengthened its activities in electrochemical hydrogen, incorporating capabilities in electrolysers and new electrocatalysts, while simultaneously advancing in emerging areas such as e-fuels, CO₂ capture and conversion, and waste valorisation.
From Science to Impact in the Basque Country
The transfer of this knowledge to industry has been one of CIC energiGUNE’s central objectives since its inception. More than a collection of occasional collaborations, over the past fifteen years the centre has established itself as an active agent within the Basque energy storage and conversion value chain, working with many of its leading industrial stakeholders and progressively evolving towards strategic, long-term technological relationships.
This connection with industry was present almost from the centre’s foundation. Under the leadership of Michel Armand and his research group, Volkswagen became the first major OEM to collaborate with CIC energiGUNE in 2013, working on polymer electrolytes for next-generation batteries. This pioneering collaboration was followed by projects with BMW, Renault and Toyota in advanced battery technologies, particularly sodium batteries and solid-state batteries, establishing direct relationships with some of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers.
This relationship with both international and local industry is reflected in tangible indicators. Between 2022 and 2025, CIC energiGUNE carried out an average of more than 22 industrial projects per year with Basque companies, while 65% of the private income obtained during this period came from collaborations with companies based in the region.
The centre’s ability to secure access to international programmes has also enabled Basque industry to participate in R&D projects that would be difficult to undertake individually. In recent years, more than 60 Basque companies have participated in international projects led by CIC energiGUNE, strengthening their access to consortia, knowledge and international funding.
Intellectual property is another of the centre’s principal transfer channels. Between 2022 and 2025, CIC energiGUNE filed 24 new patent applications, increasing its portfolio to 39 patent families, 11 of which are licensed or in commercial exploitation.
The international relevance of this intellectual property is also reflected in references received from major technological players. Patents developed by CIC energiGUNE have attracted the interest of international companies such as Huawei, LG Chem, Apple, Samsung, CATL, Bosch and BlueSolutions, as well as academic and scientific institutions including Harvard University and the CNRS.
The centre’s impact on its environment extends beyond its direct research activity. According to indicators compiled by the centre for the period 2022–2025, its activities contributed to generating approximately €4.8 million in business volume for Basque companies, mobilising more than €7.8 million in joint R&D initiatives and supporting the creation of more than 100 jobs in companies across the region.
One of the most visible examples of this ability to transform science into economic activity is the creation of two companies that emerged directly from CIC energiGUNE’s knowledge base.
BCARE, the centre’s first spin-off, was established in 2018 and specialises in solutions covering the entire battery life cycle. Its activities include technology selection and assessment, testing and characterisation, diagnosis and prediction of battery state of health and lifetime, as well as energy storage systems engineering and integration, battery pack development, BMS systems and advanced monitoring tools. BCARE has also established itself as a leading technology provider for Iberdrola, which in 2024 recognised the company in its Supplier of the Year Awards with the Energy Transition Award, highlighting its innovative approach, responsiveness and the quality of its prototypes. Among other developments, it supplies LFP batteries for i-DE transformer substations and network switching equipment.
Four years later, in 2022, Basquevolt was created to industrialise solid-state battery technology developed from the knowledge accumulated over many years at CIC energiGUNE. The company was promoted under the leadership of the Basque Government and with the participation of CIC energiGUNE and companies such as Iberdrola, CIE Automotive and Enagás, together with EIT InnoEnergy. The technology transfer from CIC energiGUNE has included 11 patent families and associated industrial know-how, forming the scientific basis of the technology developed by the company. In 2025, Basquevolt was selected by the EIC Accelerator, one of Europe’s leading instruments for the development of deep-tech companies, achieving a score of 9/9.
In 2026, Basquevolt took a further step towards industrialisation by formalising a strategic partnership with Ampere, Renault Group’s electric vehicle company, to accelerate the development and validation of lithium metal batteries based on polymer electrolytes, demonstrating the strength of the Basquevolt–CIC energiGUNE partnership, which combines Basquevolt’s industrialisation capabilities with CIC energiGUNE’s leading scientific expertise in solid-state batteries.
BCARE and Basquevolt therefore represent two particularly visible examples of a model that CIC energiGUNE has consolidated over its first fifteen years: generating cutting-edge scientific knowledge, protecting it, and ensuring that it is translated into new capabilities, economic activity and competitiveness for the Basque Country.
After fifteen years of activity, CIC energiGUNE is now entering a new stage while maintaining the purpose that inspired its creation: to develop from the Basque Country science capable of competing internationally and of generating knowledge, technology, talent, industrial activity and new opportunities for its environment.
