Corporate

Reaffirming their commitment to global standards following the receipt of new ISO certifications from SGS

CIDETEC continues to consolidate its position as an internationally recognised research centre through the update and expansion of the scope of its management system. The Gipuzkoa-based centre has received certificates from SGS endorsing its compliance with the most demanding global standards in the fields of environment, safety and innovation management.

This recognition was formalised at an event attended, on behalf of CIDETEC, by Juan Carlos Morla, Director of People and Operations; Nahia Val, Integrated Management System Manager; and David Vélez, Head of Prevention; together with the National Commercial Director of SGS ICS, Joaquín Gasca Romero.

Commitment to Sustainability and Occupational Health and Safety

Throughout 2025, CIDETEC has incorporated into its Integrated Management System the requirements of two fundamental areas in its research activity:

• ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System): Certification that strengthens the centre’s commitment to environmental protection, resource optimisation and the minimisation of environmental impact.
• ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems): An international standard that ensures a safe and healthy working environment, promoting wellbeing and risk prevention for its entire workforce.

In addition, CIDETEC has successfully completed the transition from the UNE 166002 standard to the recently approved ISO 56001. This international standard reinforces the recognition of the processes for systematising innovation activity.

This step towards the standard enables the centre to continue managing its R&D&I projects under a globally recognised methodology, facilitating high-impact technology transfer and collaboration within top-tier international consortia.

“These certifications reflect the collective effort of the entire CIDETEC team to achieve operational and technical excellence,” stated Juan Carlos Morla during the award ceremony.

With this robust regulatory framework, CIDETEC not only guarantees cutting-edge results in its research activity, but also ensures that these are achieved under the strictest controls of quality, environmental respect and workplace safety, reaffirming its identity as a research centre committed to excellence.

In this edition, CIDETEC will participate with two activities aimed at female students in lower and upper secondary education

Emakumeak Zientzian is holding its tenth edition with a perspective that does not remain solely on its track record, but looks towards the future. Ten years after the project emerged, it is reasserting itself with a clear conviction: although progress has been made, inequalities in science remain. They remain in terms of how knowledge is built, who has a voice, who leads and who continues to be marginalised. Getting to this point has also meant stopping to reflect on why it is necessary to continue, and in this edition, under the slogan ‘Marea bizia gara’ / ‘We are the spring tide’, thirty-four Basque organisations are stressing the power of collectivity in organising a programme of activities to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is celebrated every year on 11th February.

“The spring tide advances thanks to many small contributions which, together, generate movement. It does not depend on a single person or a single action. That is precisely the spirit of Emakumeak Zientzian: a networked project that promotes the participation of women, is committed to a more open, fairer and socially more connected science, and works to inspire science vocations without stereotypes,” say the Emakumeak Zientzian organisers. “Marea bizia gara” / “We are the spring tide” / is not just a slogan, it is a way of understanding the project and the path it aims to go on treading. A path built on collaboration, commitment and the conviction that more diverse science is also better science.

The Emakumeak Zientzian 2026 programme will be concentrated into the week from 3 to 11 February. An extensive programme of over 70 activities has been designed to cover the entire Basque Country and to highlight how small, joint actions can have a transforming impact. “Emakumeak Zientzian is a network that has grown thanks to shared commitment and the conviction that change is only possible if it is collective,” add the Emakumeak Zientzian organisers.

This tenth edition will kick off simultaneously in Donostia / San Sebastian, Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz on 3 February with the successful event Scientists of yesterday and today, which will bring together leading female scientists working in various fields of research. From that date onwards, activities geared towards the general public of all ages will be run. The scientific community, for example, will be able to participate in the round table discussion Let’s take action on equality and science, with leading speakers, such as Petra Rudolf, Silvia Rueda-Pascual, and Sara Clavero. In addition to the traditional student visits to research centres, teenagers will be able to visit the CIC nanoGUNE laboratories as part of the Visit to the Nanoworld activity or take marine samples on a Navegavela sailing vessel alongside AZTI research staff. Families will have the chance to go on an informative tour of the geological history of the city of Donostia / San Sebastian through its rocks and landscapes. And, as every year, there will be numerous activities aimed specifically at women over the age of 55, highlighting their role as transmitters of culture.

The activities in this tenth edition will culminate on 11 February, coinciding with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with a festive event at the Donostia /San Sebastian Aquarium. This final gathering will serve to share the results of a process of reflection that has given rise to a manifesto or action plan that will establish the future direction of Emakumeak Zientzian and become the central focus of the celebration.

The full programme of activities is available from today onwards at www.emakumeakzientzian.eus and registrations for the various activities are now open.

The 34 organizations participating in the 10th edition of Emakumeak Zientzian are a representative sample of the Basque Autonomous Community’s science and technology base: Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), BCMaterials, Biogipuzkoa, CIC bioGUNE, Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Elhuyar, EHU Informatika, EHU Kimika, Achucarro, Aranzadi, AZTI, Basque Artificial Intelligence Center (BAIC), Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Biofisika Institutua, CEIT, the Materials Physics Centre (CFM CSIC-EHU), CIC biomaGUNE, CIC energiGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, Cidetec, EHU Faculty of Pharmacy, EHU Faculty of Engineering – Gipuzkoa, EESS Bilbao, Ikerlan, Ingeniariak, Kutxa Fundazioa, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, the Basque Country Technology Park, POLYMAT, Tecnun – University of Navarre, Tecnalia, University of Deusto and Vicomtech.

Emakumeak Zientzian 2026 has the significant support of the Chartered Provincial Councils of Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, and Álava, Fomento San Sebastián, Bilbao Ekintza, the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Ikerbasque, MUBIL and Salto System, as well as the collaboration of the following bodies and organizations: the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), the Spanish Research Agency through the Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu centers as partners in the initiative, the Basque Film Library and the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival, Biook, Skills4Science, Laboratorium Bergara, Emakunde, Lemniksata, the Directorate for Equality of the EHU, the Aquarium of Donostia / San Sebastian, the San Sebastián Convention Bureau and the Equality Unit of Eibar town council.

Once again, CIDETEC joins Médecins Sans Frontières Spain to share a message of hope and solidarity.

We would like to send you our best wishes for 2026, hoping that this festive season will be an opportunity to celebrate, reflect and recharge for the year ahead.

Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!

Happy Holidays!

CIDETEC and the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) have formalised a collaboration agreement that recognises CIDETEC as an “ESTU Collaborating Entity” of the Faculty. The purpose of this agreement is to promote practical training for students and to strengthen the ties between academia and technological development.

This signing marks a further step in a collaboration that dates back to the origins of CIDETEC. The centre was founded in 1997 with the aim of developing electrochemical technologies, through the initiative of personnel linked to the Faculty. Since then, joint research projects have been carried out and a strong relationship has been forged, enabling CIDETEC to grow by incorporating PhD graduates trained at the Faculty, complemented by engineering and other specialised profiles to meet market demands. Today, CIDETEC is an international benchmark in energy storage technologies and surface engineering.

“This agreement symbolises the continuation of a relationship that has been key to technological development in the Basque Country. We remain firmly committed to training and knowledge transfer,” stated Javier Rodríguez Parra, General Director of CIDETEC.

Jon Mattin Matxain Beraza, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry at the EHU, added: “Collaboration with CIDETEC strengthens our commitment to employability and innovation, providing our students with unique opportunities to connect with industry.”

Under this agreement, the Faculty of Chemistry commits to promoting and publicising the opportunities offered by CIDETEC to students, facilitating the organisation of joint events, and disseminating the partnership through its official channels. CIDETEC, for its part, will provide economic and material resources, organise visits and training sessions, and guarantee minimum remuneration for interns.