IREC continues to consolidate its position as a leading research and innovation centre in Europe, achieving remarkable success in securing competitive European funding.

During the 2023-2024 period, IREC has submitted over 130 proposals to Horizon Europe calls, securing 15 projects worth approximately €7 million, of which IREC coordinates 6 of them. IREC has been recognized by the CDTI as one of the research centres with the highest return in the Horizon Europe program (2021-2023), further affirming its impact and excellence in European research. Until today, IREC has signed 105 grant agreements with the European Commission across FP7, H2020, and Horizon Europe, underscoring its sustained commitment to advancing innovation and collaboration at an international level.

In 2024, IREC also achieved a remarkable success within the European funding, reaching the milestone of 100 EU-funded projects from FP7, H2020 and Horizon Europe altogether, showcasing its ongoing dedication to advancing research and innovation.

Beyond these achievements, IREC plays a significant role in Catalonia’s broader success in Horizon Europe. According to AGAUR’s report “Results of Catalan Participation in the Horizon Europe Program” released in 2024 (link), Catalonia has secured €1,015.2 million in funding across 1,337 projects during the first three years of the program, positioning itself as the third most active region in Europe. Notably, Catalonia leads Spain in fund capture, securing 32.6% of the total funds. Research entities play a crucial role, contributing to 36.8% of participation, followed by companies (34.4%) and universities (24.5%). Among the top-performing research and innovation institutions in Catalonia, IREC stands out as a key player, having attracted more than €13 million in Horizon Europe funding.

This achievement has been reached thanks to a well-defined strategy focused on fostering excellence in research, building strong international collaborations, and aligning with Europe’s priority areas for innovation and sustainability. This strategy has been partly financed by the TransHEner (2021-22) and TransHEner2.0 (2023-24) projects and will continue in 2025 with the TransHEner3.0 project (2025-26).

The milestones achieved in this period reaffirms IREC’s commitment and capability to lead high-impact R&D&I projects in the energy sector and continues to consolidate its position as a leader in research and innovation in Europe, demonstrating the strength of its scientific and technological ecosystem.

Acknowledgements (in Spanish): TransHEner 2.0 (GPE2022-000963) es un proyecto financiado por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. El projecto TransHEner 3.0 (actuación GPE2024-00140-P) está financiado por MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.