Rueda praises the excellence of the CIGUS network centers, which bring together 1,600 researchers and have secured €180 million for Galicia

The president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, highlighted today the importance of the CIGUS Network —which includes 1,600 researchers— as a benchmark of scientific excellence in Galicia and thanked its contribution to building “a strong and high-quality Galicia” that is “cutting-edge” and a leader in R&D&I.

He made these remarks during the award ceremony recognizing the 10 centers from the three Galician universities that make up this superstructure promoted by the regional government. Rueda emphasized their key role in connecting research with the productive sector, enabling the transformation of knowledge into progress. “A country without science is a country without a future,” he stressed.

In this regard, Rueda underlined that the CIGUS Network, a unique model in Spain co-financed within the framework of the Feder Galicia 2021-2027 operational program, represents the best of science made in Galicia, based on excellence, collaboration, and real impact on society and the economy.

The network comprises 1,600 researchers and has secured more than 180 million euros in competitive projects over the past four years. This translates into a significant economic return for a network to which the Xunta has allocated around 68 million euros. In fact, in the current call —where eight centers renew their accreditation and two new ones join— the regional government’s contribution has increased by 31%.

Furthermore, the region has made significant progress in this field, allowing Galicia to lead in R&D&I investment, with a 28% growth, and nearly 14,000 people engaged in research-related activities, many of them within Galician universities.

Commitment to Galician research

Alfonso Rueda reaffirmed the Xunta’s commitment to knowledge transfer and the impact of science on the economy and employment, emphasizing the importance of connecting research centers with the productive sector. “This is everyone’s work,” he stated, assuring that the regional government’s goal is “to retain the talent in Galicia” and to promote the region as an “attractive place for top-level international researchers” to carry out their work.

He also highlighted the approval —last week in the Consello da Xunta— of the Galician Research and Innovation Plan 2025-2027, with a total budget of 1.310 billion euros. This plan will include the creation of a specific foundation to attract international talent. It adds to other initiatives such as Oportunius or the scientific career support program, which currently has four open aid calls funded with 61 million euros, distributed among predoctoral contracts (12.3 million euros), two postdoctoral contracts (19.6 million euros), and the most competitive research groups (29.1 million euros).

Centers accredited for their quality

The research centers that are part of the CIGUS Network include five from the University of Santiago de Compostela, three from the University of Vigo, and two from the University of A Coruña. Specifically, from the University of Santiago de Compostela: the Singular Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CIQUS), the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (IGFAE), the Singular Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), the Singular Research Center in Intelligent Technologies (CITIUS), and the Interdisciplinary Research Center in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS); from the University of Vigo: the Research Center in Telecommunication Technologies (AtlanTTic), the Research Center in Nanomaterials and Biomedicine (CINBIO), and the Marine Research Center (CIM); and from the University of A Coruña: the Research Center in Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC) and the Center for Advanced Scientific Research (CICA).