What is IREC
all about?
- Public research centre focused on advancing sustainable energy.
- Creating scientific knowledge with real technological impact.
- Driving the energy transition through research and innovation.
- Working with partners to advance the future of clean energy.
Discover IREC
Learn who we are and how our research drives innovation in sustainable energy.
Who we are
IREC is a public research centre within the CERCA system, founded in 2008 and dedicated to research, development, innovation and demonstration in sustainable energy.
Our work spans the full scope of the energy transition, from fundamental science to applied research, with the aim of generating knowledge that is relevant to industry, public administrations and society. Through collaboration with research groups, institutions and companies, we help drive the energy transition and strengthen the role of science in building a cleaner and more resilient future.
Meet our team
Discover the people behind our science, innovation and sustainable energy goals.
What we do
We conduct research, development and innovation across the full spectrum of sustainable energy, from the fundamental properties of new materials to the integration of renewable technologies, from the decarbonisation of industry to the design of more efficient buildings and communities.
Our work connects scientific knowledge with real-world application, supporting the energy transition at every scale: from laboratory to field demonstration, and from solutions relevant to Catalonia and Spain to contributions to the European research agenda.
News
Discover the latest news from our research teams and strategic initiatives.
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IREC secures funding for seven national R&D projects to accelerate the energy transition
IREC has been awarded funding for seven Knowledge Generation Projects in the 2025 call of Spain’s State Programme for Knowledge Generation. The programme supports excellent research that contributes to addressing key societal challenges while reinforcing the scientific leadership of Spanish research institutions. The funded projects span strategic areas including next-generation photovoltaics, advanced energy storage, hydrogen…
Read more: IREC secures funding for seven national R&D projects to accelerate the energy transitionPablo Fernández MartÃnez
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Two IREC researchers awarded Ramon y Cajal fellowships
Two IREC researchers, Lucile Bernadet and Alicia Ruiz-Caridad, have been awarded the prestigious Ramón y Cajal Fellowships (RyC 2024), which begin in September 2026, in the thematic areas of Energy and Transport and Information and Communication Technologies, respectively. The fellowships have a duration of five years. The Ramón y Cajal programme aims to attract and…
Read more: Two IREC researchers awarded Ramon y Cajal fellowshipsPablo Fernández MartÃnez
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New advances in low-power light modulation
The PHIDES project explored a new approach to controlling light emission through the movement of oxygen ions in functional oxide materials. The project aimed to develop energy-efficient, non-volatile optical devices whose response could be continuously tuned using small electrical stimuli, while gaining a better understanding of the processes governing oxygen insertion and extraction in oxide…
Read more: New advances in low-power light modulationPablo Fernández MartÃnez
Events
Stay up to date with IREC conferences, workshops, public consultations and outreach activities.
