Welcome

Thank you for visiting our institutional website. It is a reflection of the intense activity led by a group of highly qualified people, including researchers, technicians, students, administrative personnel and a long list of collaborators. We work together to bring the excellent research performed at ICN2 closer to society, because nanoscience and nanotechnology are one of the biggest opportunities of our time and will have an impact on every aspect of our life.

The Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) is a a public-sector foundation with the objective of becoming a world-renowned centre for nanoscience and nanotechnology research. Its trustees are the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). It is part of CERCA, the network of research centres launched by the Catalan Government as a cornerstone of its long-term strategy to foster development of a knowledge-based economy.

ICN2 has been recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence three times, in 2014, 2018 and 2022, a significant achievement that few research centres can claim. This prestigious status has enabled ICN2 to embark on a new chapter as a Centre of Excellence, with a mission focused on scientific excellence, leading frontier research at the international level, promoting the impact of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials, and translating their use into applications. With the renewal for another 4-year term (2023-2026) of the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation, ICN2 will take major steps to consolidate its international leadership and influence while maximising its impact.

In this website you will find impressive figures summarising the scientific output of the ICN2: a remarkable number of articles in indexed publications with a high impact factor; our success at attracting national and international competitive funding; the constant promotion of technology transfer, and; the strong involvement in international collaborations. The European Commission's Graphene Flagship project is a prime example of ICN2's leadership capacity, where our centre has been at the forefront of work packages such as Biomedical Technologies and Spintronics. This leadership role will continue as after ten years of achievements the initiative takes on new forms through future projects.

We are also committed to establishing international partnerships with leading institutions worldwide, as well as nurturing local connections. The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), an initiative that brings together the efforts of seven cutting-edge research centres in Barcelona and its surroundings, continues to consolidate itself as a tool for coordinating joint research lines with other centres and facilitating societal impact through initiatives in the training of new researchers and science outreach in schools.

I invite you to join us in building a bright future every day and to participate in this collective journey towards personal and professional growth.

Sincerely,

Prof. Pablo Ordejón
Director of ICN2