CIC energiGUNE’s work has been recognised in the national results for Horizon Europe

The CDTI report ranks the centre among the organisations with the highest return on investment in mobility, against a backdrop of strong national leadership

CIC energiGUNE – a Basque research centre specialising in electrochemical and thermal energy storage and conversion – is among the centres identified as a benchmark based on the results observed in Horizon Europe, against a backdrop of strong performance by the Spanish R&D&I system in the main European research and innovation funding programme. This is reflected in the Report on provisional results of Spain’s participation in Horizon Europe (2021–2024), drawn up by the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)

During the first four years of Horizon Europe, Spanish entities have secured €4,507.6 million, representing a return rate of 11.4% for the EU-27. These results place Spain third in terms of funding secured, second in terms of number of participations, and first in terms of leadership of collaborative projects, with 686 coordinated projects, equivalent to 15.8% of the European total.

In terms of activity, 4,813 projects involving Spanish participation have been funded, totalling 11,227 participations. This level of participation reflects the strength of Spain’s scientific and technological system in European calls for proposals, within a highly competitive context in which the programme’s average success rate stands at around 16%, compared to the 19% achieved by state-level entities.

Within this general framework, CIC energiGUNE is cited in the report among the entities with the highest return in the field of Mobility, one of the areas with the highest volume of funding and state leadership within Horizon Europe. Mobility forms part of Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility), one of the programme’s central pillars in relation to the energy transition and decarbonisation.

Overall, Cluster 5 has generated a return of €1,007.7 million for Spain, equivalent to over 22% of the country’s total return under Horizon Europe, and has placed the country among the top three in the European Union across all areas. In Energy, the return reached €469.2 million (13.9% of the EU-27 total); in Mobility, €426.4 million (13.3% of the EU-27 total); and in Climate, €112.1 million (12.5% of the EU-27 total).

The Mobility sector alone – in which CIC energiGUNE is specifically mentioned among the leading organisations – accounts for €426.4 million, equivalent to around 9.5% of Spain’s total return from Horizon Europe, and comprises 323 funded activities, 75 of which have been coordinated by state-run organisations, demonstrating a high level of leadership in this field.

Similarly, the Energy area, closely aligned with CIC energiGUNE’s research lines, accounts for €469.2 million, equivalent to just over 10% of the total Spanish return, with 379 funded activities and 109 coordination roles, establishing itself as one of the main pillars of Spain’s participation in the programme.

The report also highlights that Pillar II of Horizon Europe, dedicated to global challenges and European industrial competitiveness, accounts for 68.6% of Spain’s funding, totalling 3.093 billion euros. This pillar constitutes the main funding framework for projects focused on the energy transition, sustainable mobility, industrial decarbonisation and climate resilience, areas fully aligned with CIC energiGUNE’s research activities.

From an aggregate perspective, more than two out of every three euros secured by Spanish organisations under Horizon Europe come from this pillar, highlighting the strategic importance of centres specialising in energy and clean technologies within the European R&D&I ecosystem.

CIC energiGUNE’s contribution to these results is channelled through its participation in highly complex European consortia, in collaboration with universities, technology centres, companies and public bodies from various countries. This approach maximises the scientific and technological impact of the projects and strengthens the link between advanced research, technological development and industrial application.

The centre views this positioning as the result of sustained work by its research teams, based on specialisation in energy storage and conversion, scientific excellence and alignment with European priorities. Participation in Horizon Europe also helps to strengthen the international profile of research carried out in the Basque Country and its integration into the main European initiatives on energy transition.