2024 ANNUAL REPORT
About us
We carry out scientific research, technology transfer and education & capacity building, with the aim of broadening the knowledge of socio-ecological systems related to water, at the service of society and global sustainability
IHCantabria is a joint research institute that arises from the collaboration between two institutions: Universidad de Cantabria (UC) and the Government of Cantabria, represented through the Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de Cantabria Foundation. This Institute was created on March 22, 2007 (World Water Day), with the union of two research groups of the School of Civil Engineering of the Universidad de Cantabria, which had been carrying out an intense scientific-technical activity on issues related to the engineering of inland and coastal waters for more than 25 years.
This institute specializes in basic and applied research, technological transfer and training. Some of its areas of specialty are:
- Climate change and climate services
- Marine energy and offshore engineering
- Environmental management and planning
- Coastal engineering and management
- Port engineering and management
- Water resources and hydraulic engineering
- Natural and human risks
2007
Year founded
+26
Years of experience
+31%
of personnel have a doctorate degree
+100M€
of funding obtained since its foundation
+1600
completed projects
+75
countries with developed projects
≈1000
Scientific papers published
11
Patents
Our working method
At IHCantabria we unite science, innovation and collaboration, in coherence with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to drive solutions that increase sustainability and resilience
Our Mission
IHCantabria is committed to promoting scientific excellence and its technology transfer with a multidisciplinary and cooperative approach in mind in order to promote innovation that contributes to speed up the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the attainment of a fair, inclusive, accountable and resilient society.
Our vision
IHCantabria’s vision is to become a worldwide reference institution for the provision of scientific-based innovative solutions, focused on the integrated management of water-related socioecological systems, in order to contribute to a more sustainable planet.
Our values
- Commitment with planet sustainability.
- Service to society.
- Integrity, neutrality and independence in our work.
- Reliable knowledge and research.
- Search for excellence.
- Promotion of innovation.
Our signs of identity
- Support decision-making to contribute to the SDGs by providing scientific evidence and innovative solutions.
- Design of integrated solutions for social-ecological water systems, ensuring their resilience.
- Development of skills and transfer of knowledge to promote scientific and social progress.
- Promotion of sustainable cooperation between academic, entrepreneurial and public agents.
- An innovative management model that triples the public investment and and guarantees 90% of the funding to be from our own funds.
Impact
We continually challenge ourselves to generate impact by leveraging the talent of our team and empowering innovation to generate solutions to water-related problems
60%
Increase of staff in the last 5 years
91
Administrations with which we have partnered in the last 5 years
262
Companies with which we have partnered in the last 5 years
6ª
Position in the 2017 Shanghai ranking in the field of Ocean Engineering.
UNIQUE
Spanish flagship project financed by EU Cohesion Funds over the last 30 years
x3
Return on the public investment received
Our unique facility
Cantabria Coastal and Ocean Basin (CCOB)
The Gran Tanque de Ingeniería Marítima de Cantabria – Coastal and Ocean Basin (GTIM-CCOB) is part of MARHIS (Maritime Aggregated Research Hydraulic Infrastructures), a distributed Large-Scale Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) managed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain. This infrastructure is unique in the field of hydraulic engineering and has advanced equipment such as multidirectional wave and current generators and specialized channels for the study of waves, currents and tsunamis. Measuring 30 x 44 x 4.75 meters, the tank is equipped with a wave generator capable of producing waves up to 1.1 meters high. The main purpose of the ICTS is to improve the efficiency and capacity of Spanish infrastructures to carry out numerical, experimental and field research in areas such as coastal, port and offshore engineering, as well as in the analysis of the complex interactions between marine structures and climatic factors.
21
Direct jobs generated at the CCOB
+17M€
Funding generated at the CCOB, since 2011
+22
Organization chart
Managing Board
Research areas and groups
