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Industry & Innovation / Capabilities

Capabilities by Industry

Discover ICMAB expertise and technologies organised around sector needs and industrial innovation challenges.

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Advanced materials expertise for industrial challenges

Discover ICMAB capabilities and technologies relevant to your sector and innovation needs.

Our expertise supports a wide range of industries, including:

Our researchers work with companies, public organisations and technology developers to solve scientific and technological challenges through consultancy, contract research, technical services and collaborative R&D projects.

Explore challenges, technologies and expertise aligned with your industry and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Materials expertise

Scientific insight

Connect sector challenges with internationally recognised advanced materials research.

Research infrastructure

Technical capability

Access characterization, fabrication and testing capabilities relevant to product and process development.

Collaboration routes

From question to project

Combine consultancy, contract research, technical services and collaborative R&D.

Explore capabilities by industry

Select a sector to review the materials, technologies and analytical expertise most closely aligned with its innovation needs.

Replace with an ICMAB image related to Energy, Transport and Storage

Energy, Transport and Storage

15 capabilities

Explore Batteries, Electrolyte formulation and Cycling and degradation studies, plus related capabilities.

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Replace with an ICMAB image related to Electronics and Semiconductors

Electronics and Semiconductors

14 capabilities

Explore Organic semiconductors, Ink formulation for electronics and Printed electronics, plus related capabilities.

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Quantum Electronics and Materials

9 capabilities

Explore Molecular qubits, Quantum metal–organic frameworks and Quantum spintronics, plus related capabilities.

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Replace with an ICMAB image related to Communications

Communications

12 capabilities

Explore Optical communications, Topological photonics and Photonic integrated circuits, plus related capabilities.

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Replace with an ICMAB image related to Health and Biomedical Technologies

Health and Biomedical Technologies

12 capabilities

Explore Drug delivery, Nanomedicine and Cancer therapy, plus related capabilities.

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Advanced Manufacturing

10 capabilities

Explore Thin-film manufacturing, Nanoimprint lithography and Laser processing, plus related capabilities.

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Replace with an ICMAB image related to Sustainability and Circular Economy

Sustainability and Circular Economy

11 capabilities

Explore Materials from abundant elements, Biosilica valorisation and Sustainable batteries, plus related capabilities.

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Chemical and Process Industries

13 capabilities

Explore Catalyst development, Electrolysis and CO₂ conversion, plus related capabilities.

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Industry-focused capabilities

Open each capability to see the research themes, technology platforms and materials expertise associated with the sector.

Energy, Transport and Storage

15 capabilities

Batteries
anode and cathode materials, Zn–MnO₂ batteries, silicon and SiO₂ anodes, multivalent batteries, organic cathodes, Prussian-blue analogues and battery interfaces.
Electrolyte formulation
aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes, redox-active electrolytes, electrolyte stability and electrode–electrolyte interfaces.
Cycling and degradation studies
charge–discharge cycling, capacity fading, reversibility, ageing mechanisms, operando characterisation and lifetime prediction.
Redox-flow batteries
polyoxometalate-based electrolytes and alternative materials to vanadium for stationary energy storage.
Supercapacitors
nanostructured oxides, graphene, carbon xerogels, doped nanocarbons and laser-processed electrodes.
Photovoltaics
organic photovoltaics, perovskites, hybrid materials, light-harvesting materials, photonic structures and flexible solar cells.
Photovoltaic ink formulation
solution-processable organic and hybrid materials, thin-film deposition, inkjet printing, slot-die coating and roll-to-roll processing.
Photovoltaic stability
microstructure monitoring, degradation studies, accelerated ageing and real-world performance.
Thermoelectric materials
organic, carbon-based and hybrid nanocomposites for waste-heat recovery and autonomous sensors.
Thermal management
materials with controlled thermal conductivity, thermal interfaces, phononic materials and heat-management coatings.
Hydrogen production
electrocatalysts, photocatalysts, water splitting, electrolysis and hydrogen-related materials.
CO₂ conversion
catalysts and nanostructured materials for converting carbon dioxide into fuels and chemical products.
Superconductors
YBCO films, coated conductors, high-temperature superconductors, superconducting cables and high-field applications.
Transport electrification
battery materials, supercapacitors, thermal-management systems, superconducting technologies and energy-efficient components.
Mobility
magnetic sensors, position sensors, regenerative braking systems, electric motors and materials for electric vehicles.

Electronics and Semiconductors

14 capabilities

Organic semiconductors
molecular semiconductors, organic thin-film transistors, OFETs and solution-processable electronic materials.
Ink formulation for electronics
printable semiconductor inks, control of viscosity, surface tension, drying, crystallisation and film morphology.
Printed electronics
inkjet printing, flexible electronics, roll-to-roll manufacturing and printed circuits.
Sensors
magnetic, electrical, optical, radiation, infrared, chemical and biosensors.
Biosensors
organic transistors and electronic transducers for point-of-care diagnostics and detection of biological molecules.
Radiation detectors
organic thin-film transistors and photodetectors for X-rays and near-infrared radiation.
Magnetic sensors
magnetoresistive materials, magnetic metasurfaces and sensors for automotive, robotics, industrial monitoring and IoT applications.
Spintronics
spin transport, charge–spin conversion, magnetic materials, spin–orbit effects, magnetic memory and low-power logic.
Ferroelectric electronics
HfO₂ and ZrO₂-based ferroelectric materials, ferroelectric memories, transistors, actuators and neuromorphic devices.
Oxide electronics
functional oxides, correlated oxides, oxide interfaces, magnetic oxides and electronic devices.
Photonics and optoelectronics
photonic crystals, plasmonics, OLEDs, PeLEDs, quantum-dot LEDs, light-emitting materials and optical devices.
Metasurfaces
magnetic, optical and electromagnetic metasurfaces for sensors, antennas, light control and photonic circuits.
Laser processing
local modification of material properties, laser crystallisation, laser writing and micro- and nanofabrication.
Flexible devices
organic and hybrid materials deposited on flexible substrates for sensors, displays and wearable electronics.

Quantum Electronics and Materials

9 capabilities

Molecular qubits
molecular spin systems, single- and two-qubit molecules, molecular quantum information and chemically designed quantum states.
Quantum metal–organic frameworks
quMOFs containing arrays of molecular spin qubits and materials for quantum information processing.
Quantum spintronics
control and manipulation of individual spins, spin–orbit coupling, magnetic heterostructures and spin-based information technologies.
Superconducting quantum materials
nanoengineered superconductors, superconducting hybrids and materials for quantum circuits.
Single-photon detectors
superconducting nanowire detectors and cryogenic detectors for quantum photonics and quantum communications.
Quantum sensors
highly sensitive magnetic, optical and electromagnetic sensors based on spin, superconducting or molecular systems.
Quantum photonics
photonic structures, single-photon detection and light–matter interaction for quantum information technologies.
Quantum computing materials
molecular, spintronic and superconducting platforms for qubits, quantum devices and quantum simulation.
Quantum communications
single-photon sources and detectors, quantum optical links and quantum key distribution components.

Communications

12 capabilities

Optical communications
photonic crystals, optical waveguides, photonic integrated circuits and low-loss light transport.
Topological photonics
robust photonic edge modes, defect-tolerant waveguides and protected optical transport around bends or imperfections.
Photonic integrated circuits
nanostructured optical materials, nanoimprint lithography, waveguides, filters, modulators and multiplexers.
RF and microwave communications
high-frequency magnetic materials, non-reciprocal devices, microwave components and electromagnetic heterostructures.
Circulators
miniaturised magnet-free circulators operating above 100 GHz for full-duplex systems, radar and advanced wireless communications.
5G and 6G technologies
high-frequency components, compact antennas, beam steering and low-loss materials.
Antennas
magnetic metasurfaces, reconfigurable antennas, compact antennas and electromagnetic-field control.
Wireless energy transfer
metasurfaces and magnetic materials for improving coupling, efficiency and spatial control.
Optical receivers
organic and hybrid near-infrared photodetectors, with potential operation in the 800–1,300 nm range.
Displays and optical emitters
OLEDs, PeLEDs, quantum-dot LEDs, chiral materials and polarisation control.
Quantum communications
single-photon detectors, superconducting detectors, photonic circuits and quantum key distribution.
Communication sensors
magnetic, optical and electromagnetic sensors for telecom infrastructure, IoT, robotics and connected vehicles.

Health and Biomedical Technologies

12 capabilities

Drug delivery
nanocarriers, quatsomes, non-liposomal nanovesicles, encapsulation technologies and controlled release.
Nanomedicine
magnetic nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, silica nanoparticles and multifunctional nanostructures.
Cancer therapy
boron neutron capture therapy, anticancer agents, radiosensitising materials and targeted nanocarriers.
Theranostics
materials combining diagnosis and therapy, fluorescent nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles and multimodal platforms.
Medical imaging
MRI-active molecules, radical dendrimers, porphyrins, fluorescent nanovesicles and PET-related nanomaterials.
Biosensing
fluorescent nanovesicles, organic nanoparticles, transistor-based sensors and platforms for biomolecule detection.
Biomaterials
bacterial cellulose, natural hydrogels, PEG-based hydrogels, nanoparticle–hydrogel composites and cell-containing materials.
Regenerative medicine
hierarchical nanoarchitectures, scaffolds, hydrogels and materials for tissue regeneration.
Immunotherapy
hydrogels and biomaterials designed to support cell activation and advanced cellular therapies.
Antimicrobial surfaces
functional interfaces and materials designed to control interactions with bacteria and biological systems.
Ophthalmology and wound healing
bacterial-cellulose materials for ocular applications and difficult-to-heal wounds.
GMP nanomedicine manufacturing
processes and platforms for the scalable manufacture of nanomedicines under regulated conditions.

Advanced Manufacturing

10 capabilities

Thin-film manufacturing
organic, inorganic, hybrid, ferroelectric, magnetic and superconducting thin films.
Nanoimprint lithography
scalable fabrication of photonic, electronic and optical nanostructures.
Laser processing
laser-induced crystallisation, local material modification, electrode processing and nanoscale writing.
Printed materials
inkjet printing, solution processing, printable semiconductors, photovoltaic inks and flexible devices.
Surface engineering
control of adhesion, wettability, charge, roughness, magnetic response and chemical functionality.
Nanocomposite processing
graphene, carbon xerogels, oxides, polymers, nanoparticles and hybrid materials.
Device integration
integration of materials into sensors, batteries, photodetectors, transistors and photonic systems.
Scalable production
roll-to-roll-compatible processing, coating technologies, reproducible synthesis and process optimisation.
In-line characterisation
spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction, microscopy and operando monitoring for industrial quality control.
Functional coatings
conductive, magnetic, optical, thermal, ferroelectric, superconducting, antimicrobial and protective coatings.

Sustainability and Circular Economy

11 capabilities

Materials from abundant elements
Zn, Mn, Si, carbon, iron and other alternatives to critical or expensive raw materials.
Biosilica valorisation
conversion of biomass-derived silica into electrode materials and other functional components.
Sustainable batteries
aqueous batteries, zinc-based systems, alternative cathode materials and reduced-critical-material technologies.
CO₂ utilisation
catalytic conversion of CO₂ into fuels and chemical products.
Green hydrogen
photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, water splitting and hydrogen-production materials.
Energy efficiency
thermoelectric materials, thermal management, superconducting technologies and low-power electronics.
Catalysis
MOFs, graphene, TiO₂, ZnO, boron-based compounds and hybrid catalysts.
Waste-heat recovery
organic and inorganic thermoelectric materials for industrial and transport applications.
Sustainable manufacturing
solution processing, low-temperature synthesis, laser processing and reduced-material fabrication.
Environmental sensing
chemical, gas, magnetic and optical sensors for pollution and process monitoring.
Circular materials design
recovery, substitution and reuse of components in batteries, catalysts, electronics and nanomaterials.

Chemical and Process Industries

13 capabilities

Catalyst development
heterogeneous catalysts, photocatalysts, electrocatalysts, MOFs, oxides, graphene and boron-based materials.
Electrolysis
electrode materials, catalyst layers, water splitting and hydrogen-generation systems.
CO₂ conversion
catalytic reduction, hydrogenation and conversion into fuels or platform chemicals.
Fuel synthesis
catalyst and reactor materials for producing fuels from CO₂, alcohols or biomass-derived molecules.
Electrolyte formulation
redox-active electrolytes, aqueous electrolytes, ionic environments and electrode–electrolyte interfaces.
Chemical sensors
gas sensors, surface-functionalised sensors, optical sensors and electronic chemical transducers.
Surface chemistry
adsorption, charge transfer, wetting, functionalisation, corrosion control and interfacial reactions.
MOF chemistry
porous materials for catalysis, gas storage, sensing, separations and biomedical applications.
Supercritical fluids
supercritical CO₂ and other supercritical processes for synthesis, extraction and materials processing.
Polyoxometalates
redox-active molecular clusters for catalysis, energy storage and molecular materials.
Nanoparticle synthesis
controlled preparation, functionalisation, encapsulation and scale-up of nanoparticles.
Process monitoring
operando studies, thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy and microstructural monitoring.
Industrial formulation
inks, coatings, electrolytes, catalysts, nanocarriers and printable functional materials.

Turn an industry challenge into a collaboration opportunity

The Knowledge Transfer Unit can help identify the most relevant experts, technologies and collaboration opportunities. The list is not exhaustive, and the wider PRUAB and CSIC ecosystems extend the range of researchers, facilities and centres available.

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