IREC - Fundació Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya

Research for a sustainable energy future

IREC (Fundació Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya) is a public research center founded in 2008 and part of Catalonia's CERCA research system. It focuses on research, development, innovation, and demonstration in sustainable energy. Its work ranges from fundamental science to applied research, with the goal of generating knowledge relevant to industry, public agencies, and society.

Research areas

IREC organizes its work across several technical departments:

• Energy storage, harvesting, and catalysis
• Solar energy materials and systems
• Energy systems analytics
• Functional nanomaterials
• Power systems
• Nanoionics and fuel cells
• Climate-neutral and resilient buildings and communities

Services and technology transfer

The institute provides testing, validation, and demonstration services, as well as public outreach, collaborative projects, support for entrepreneurship and startups, and training and professional development. Its knowledge-transfer team and technology portfolio are intended to help move research from the lab to the market.

Facilities and platforms

IREC operates specialized research and development labs and participates in platforms such as PlemCat and PRIMA, which include pilot plants and facilities for testing technologies. It is also part of joint research units such as IREC-UPC JRU, BATTECH-JRU, and DIRECxTE, and collaborates with research groups, institutions, and companies.

Locations and contact

IREC has three locations in Catalonia:

• Barcelona Sant Adrià: Carrer Jardins de les Dones de Negre, 1, 2nd floor, 08930 Sant Adrià de Besòs (Barcelona)
• Barcelona 22@: Carrer Pujades 350, 8th floor, 08019 Barcelona
• Tarragona: Campus Sescelades, Carrer Marcel·lí Domingo, 2 (Edifici N5), 43007 Tarragona

Phone: +34 933 562 615.