The Institut Catala de Nanociencia I Nanotecnologia (ICN2) is a flagship research institute within the CERCA network of centres created and supported by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia to raise Catalan science to the premier international level. The patrons of ICN2 are the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat), the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Its core activities are Frontier Basic and Applied Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Technology Transfer, and Public Outreach. Currently, ICN2 numbers some 200 staff from over 30 countries, of which about 170 are researchers. In addition to the theoretical and experimental groups involved in the project, ICN2´s activities in graphene include thermal management, photovoltaic, biosensors and energy applications, gathering about 40 researchers (permanent staff, postdoc and Ph.D. students). ICN2 achievements were recognised in 2014 with the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation, the most prestigious award targeting research centres in Spain.

Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) is a research center that develops cutting-edge research in physics and related disciplines. DIPC’s mission also includes the transmission of scientific culture to society, as well as responding to global societal challenges that demand scientific insight.
DIPC is singular in its institutional structure. It is a center funded and governed by both public institutions (Basque Government, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Gipuzkoa Provincial Council, and San Sebastian City Council) and private companies (Kutxa Fundazioa, Fundación EDP, Telefónica and CAF). DIPC is also singular in the way it operates. It is a dynamic organization that follows flexible management rules. DIPC’s philosophy is to promote an austere, simple and agile operation, far removed from bureaucratic rigidities, based on intellectual rigor, creativity and freedom.
DIPC counts on more than 200 researchers distributed across 4 scientific areas, namely QUANTUM, NANO, COSMOS, and LIFE. Scientific leaders are mostly hired through the competitive Basque Government’s Ikerbasque Program. With a large community of visiting scientists, the center acts as a catalyst for knowledge in its close scientific ecosystem. It produces more than 450 scientific publications annually and it currently holds several active ERC grants.

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is the largest public research institution in Spain and one of the most renowned institutions in the European Research Area (ERA). It is affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Secretary General for Research.