Spain’s four major CSIC Materials Science Institutes are celebrating their anniversary with public outreach activities and scientific events.
The Aragonese centre was the first to be established (founded in 1985 as the ICMA, a joint institute of the CSIC and the University of Zaragoza) and has played a decisive role in achieving the breakthroughs that are revolutionising energy, healthcare and quantum technologies.
Zaragoza, 20th July 2026. The four Materials Science and Technology Institutes of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their creation this year with an extensive programme of activities aimed at bringing materials science closer to society and highlighting four decades of research, innovation and knowledge transfer. Indeed, Aragon was the first autonomous community in Spain to host an institute dedicated to materials research. The origins of today’s Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), a joint institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), date back to 24 May 1985, when the Institute of Materials Science (ICMA) was established as a joint centre of both institutions. The creation of the remaining centres was completed throughout 1986 and, forty years later, these institutes are recognised nationally and internationally as leaders in materials research.
To mark the occasion, the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA) has organised a programme of public engagement activities for the wider community, as well as a film series at the Zaragoza Film Archive focusing on materials science. The celebrations will culminate in an institutional event in November at CSIC headquarters in Madrid, together with the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), and the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS-CSIC-US).
Film series at the Zaragoza Film Archive and public activities across Aragon
As part of this joint celebration, the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon has developed its own programme to bring this discipline closer to the people of Aragon.
The flagship initiative will be “The 40 Materials”, a catalogue compiled by INMA (CSIC-UNIZAR) researchers showcasing forty materials that have been, are, and will continue to be fundamental to scientific and technological progress.
In addition, the institute has organised, together with the Zaragoza Film Archive, a film series featuring movies in which materials and their properties play a central role in the plot or in the abilities of the characters. Building on the success of last year’s programme devoted to Quantum Physics, this new series has been coordinated in collaboration with members of the Centre for Astroparticles and High Energy Physics (CAPA-UNIZAR) and will take place throughout November. It will be open to the public, and specialist scientists in the relevant fields will explain the scientific principles underlying each film’s storyline.
Four decades developing the materials of the future
Materials science underpins many of the innovations that are transforming our society. From new materials for producing and storing energy more efficiently to quantum technologies, biomaterials for personalised medicine and advanced systems for sustainability, the materials of the future are being developed today in the laboratories of these four institutes.
Since their creation, the CSIC Materials Science and Technology Institutes have become the driving force behind Spanish public research in this field. Their work has enabled the development of advanced materials and the transfer of this knowledge to industry, contributing to economic growth, industrial competitiveness and societal well-being through breakthroughs in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), graphene, ultrafast physics and quantum technologies.
Today, their research has a direct impact on some of the major challenges of the 21st century. In the field of the energy transition, they are working on more efficient solar cells, new generations of batteries, superconductors, materials for harvesting ambient energy, and technologies for recycling and decontamination. In healthcare, they are developing nanoparticles and biomaterials for early diagnosis, targeted drug delivery and the improvement of treatments such as radiotherapy. In the digital sphere, they are investigating devices for quantum technologies, magnetic memories and next-generation processors.
Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence
The Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA) is the first research centre in the region of Aragon to receive the prestigious Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation, awarded by the Spanish State Research Agency. The distinction brings funding of €4.5 million and supports five doctoral research contracts for the 2024-2028 period.
INMA is a joint research institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR). With around 300 members, it currently runs more than 40 European projects and produces an average of 300 scientific publications per year, while securing approximately €7 million annually through competitive public funding programmes. The institute also works closely with industry partners.
20-07-2026
