ANNUAL REPORT 2023
About us
We contribute scientific knowledge to the development of projects relating to socioecological systems associated to water worldwide
IHCantabria is a joint research institute arising from the partnership between two institutions: the University of Cantabria (UC) and the Government of Cantabria, represented by the Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de Cantabria Foundation. This institute was created on 22nd of March 2007 (International Water Day) from the merge of two research groups of the School of Civil Engineering of the University of Cantabria, which had been carrying out an intense scientific-technical activity in matters relating to continental, estuarine and coastal waters engineering for over 25 years. Find out about our origins.
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 energies 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 of foundation
+25
years of experience
+30%
of the members of personnel have a doctorate degree
+100M€
of funding obtained since its foundation
+1500
completed projects
+70
countries with developed projects
+800
scientific papers
11
patents
Our working method
We are firmly committed with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and intend for our work to contribute to attain a fairer, more inclusive, more accountable and more resilient society
Our mission
IHCantabria is committed to promoting scientific excellence and its 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 of 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 resilient socioecological systems.
- 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 create direct highly added-value employment and develop skills, products and services that have a high impact on society
60%
Increase in staff numbers in the last 5 years
85
Administrations with which we have partnered in the last 5 years
252
Companies with which we have partnered in the last 5 years
6ª
Position in the Shanghai ranking in year 2017 for the Marine/Ocean Engineering subject
UNIQUE
Spanish flagship project in Cohesion Policy of the last 30 years
x3
Return on the public investment received
Our unique facilities
We can carry out frontier research thanks to our facilities
Cantabria Coastal and Ocean Basin (CCOB)
The Cantabria Coastal and Ocean Basin (CCOB) facilities are part of MARHIS (Maritime Aggregated Research Hydraulic Infrastructures), a distributed Large-Scale Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation that is unique in the field of hydraulic engineering. Some of its outstanding experimental equipment are multidirectional wavemakers and the capacity to generate currents and tsunamis in a dedicated wave flume. Its dimensions include a 30 x 44 x 4.75 m area and its wave generator can create waves of up to 1.1 meters in height. Its purpose is to increase the efficiency and capacity of the Spanish numeric, experimental and field facilities to apply them on coastal, port and high-seas engineering projects, as well as on the multiple interactions between marine structures and climate factors.
24
Direct jobs created at the CCOB
+16M€
Funding obtained at the CCOB
+20
Countries with experimental activities at the CCOB
Organization chart
Managing Board
Research Areas and Groups
