The CIM has become one of the most dynamic scientific hubs in the Galician system. Ecimat has established itself as a leading infrastructure for European marine experimentation
The Marine Research Centre (CIM) of the University of Vigo celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2026 at a time of maximum scientific and institutional consolidation, having become one of the leading references in marine research across the European Atlantic arc, combining scientific excellence, competitive funding acquisition, unique infrastructures, and growing international visibility.
Created in 2016 to integrate and strengthen UVigo’s marine research, the CIM — part of the Xunta de Galicia’s Cigus network — currently brings together more than 200 people, including researchers, technical staff, and research trainees, organized into 16 research groups. “The celebration of the CIM’s 10th anniversary also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Toralla Marine Sciences Station (Ecimat), a strategic scientific infrastructure of the Marine Research Centre and one of the most unique experimental marine research platforms in southern Europe,” highlights Daniel Rey, director of the CIM. Both anniversaries will be celebrated at an institutional event on Monday, June 8, coinciding with World Oceans Day, next to Ecimat on Toralla Island.
A centre with strong international projection to tackle ocean challenges
During its first decade, the CIM has positioned itself among the European centres with the highest relative scientific performance in marine science, publishing more than 200 high-impact scientific papers per year, over half of them led by the centre itself, and maintaining an international collaboration rate of over 75%.
“Between seven and eleven researchers from the centre consistently appear among the world’s top 2% most cited scientists according to the Stanford ranking, while UVigo’s oceanography ranked in the 51–75 range of the 2024 Shanghai Ranking, regularly placing among the world’s top 100,” notes Daniel Rey. He also recalls that in recent years the CIM has secured more than €38 million in competitive funding, reaching a historic annual record of €5.4 million in 2024 and strengthening its participation in European programmes such as Horizon Europe, Interreg, and MSCA.
Through a multidisciplinary approach, the centre carries out cutting-edge research on the impact of estuary warming, harmful algal blooms, the effects of plastic pollution, and the response of coastal ecosystems to extreme events, while also contributing to the sustainability of key sectors in Galicia such as mussel farming, shellfishing, and aquaculture. “A multi-approach vision that enables the centre to address major marine challenges from different scales and perspectives, combining fundamental research, experimentation, ocean observation, data analysis, and advanced modelling,” explains the CIM director.
Unique scientific infrastructures in Europe and strong local connections
Its commitment to creating unique scientific infrastructures for integrated marine observation and experimentation has led the CIM in recent years to strengthen Ecimat’s capabilities through the incorporation of an experimental mussel raft anchored in the Aldán estuary, an advanced mesocosm system at the Marine Sciences Station, and a new state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid scientific oceanographic vessel.
Likewise, “the CIM maintains a particularly close relationship with the institutional, social, and business sectors linked to the sea. In 2025 alone, the centre generated more than €1.6 million in contracts, services, and collaborations with public and private entities,” recalls Daniel Rey, who also highlights the CIM’s extensive work in outreach, inclusion, and ocean literacy “to convey to society the importance of the ocean and its direct influence on climate, biodiversity, food systems, and people’s wellbeing.”
A new phase of expansion
Having completed its first decade, the CIM now faces “a new stage marked by scientific and institutional growth, with one of the key projects being the future centre building at the ETEA campus, designed to strengthen the University of Vigo’s marine research capabilities in an integrated seafront space,” says Daniel Rey.
Throughout this year, different activities will be held to commemorate the anniversaries of the CIM and Ecimat, culminating in the main event scheduled for June 8. Under the slogan “Two decades researching the sea. One decade leading the future,” the CIM will reaffirm the role of marine science as an essential tool for addressing the major environmental, social, and economic challenges of the coming decades.
The CIM holds the CIGUS recognition from the Xunta de Galicia, which certifies the quality and impact of its research, and its activity is co-funded by the European Union through the ERDF Programme 2021–2027.
Source: DUVI
