Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB)

What Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) does

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) is an academic research institute within the University of Barcelona, founded in 2006, conducting fundamental research in cosmology, astrophysics, particle physics, quantum physics, and nuclear physics. It operates a dedicated Technology Unit (ICCUB-TECH, located at the Parc Científic de Barcelona) that designs and builds specialised instrumentation, including the MATRIX family of 10-ps Time-to-Digital Converter ASICs, the patented FAPEC/GOCA data compression algorithm, PET medical imaging detectors, and a multipurpose nanosatellite/CubeSat platform. The institute participates in flagship international scientific collaborations — Gaia, Euclid, and Solar Orbiter (ESA), LHCb (CERN), Virgo/EGO, CTA, IAXO, DESI, LISA, and the Einstein Telescope — contributing hardware, firmware, data-processing pipelines, and scientific analysis, and manages the Barcelona Data Processing Centre on the MareNostrum supercomputer for Gaia DPAC.

ICCUB is funded primarily through competitive research grants from European (ERC, Horizon Europe, MSCA), Spanish national (MICIU/AEI), and Catalan regional sources, having executed approximately €25.1 million in funding between 2020 and 2023, including 8 ERC grants over 10 years. Ancillary revenue streams include technology licensing (notably the FAPEC algorithm transferred to spin-off DAPCOM Data Services, deployed on Earth Observation satellites since 2017) and approximately €170,000 in collaboration contracts with CERN, INFN, CIEMAT, and private companies. The institute has been recognised three consecutive times as a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence (2019, 2022, 2025–2031) and previously as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence (2020–2024), and serves a community of over 70 long-term scientists, 20 engineers, and 90 postdoctoral researchers and PhD students (55% international postdocs, 30% international PhDs), with secondary outreach to the general public via the Serviastro and Servipartícules platforms.

Name

Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB)

Legal name

Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB)

Website

https://icc.ub.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) is a University of Barcelona research institute founded in 2006, conducting cosmology, astrophysics, particle physics, and quantum research, while operating a Technology Unit that designs ASICs, data compression, and space instrumentation for ESA, CERN, and other flagship scientific collaborations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Astrophysics & Particle Physics Research Institute

NAICS

Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Space Research and Technology (927)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAAAJ

Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities

SECONDARYIMABACAD

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing/Spacecraft & Launch Vehicle Manufacturing

SECONDARYBPADAAAK

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Multilateral & Intergovernmental Organizations

Keywords

• Astrophysics research
• Particle physics instrumentation
• Space instrumentation design
• Data compression algorithms
• ASIC design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Competitive Research Grants: ICCUB operates as a university research institute funded primarily through competitive grants from EU (ERC, Horizon Europe, MSCA), national (MICIU/AEI), and regional (Catalan) funding bodies. Major grants include María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence (CEX2024-001451-M), ERC Advanced Grants, Severo Ochoa programme, and multiple PhD/postdoc fellowship programmes.
2. Technology Transfer & Licensing: Revenue generated through licensing of patented technologies (FAPEC data compression algorithm) to spin-off DAPCOM Data Services, and through service contracts with CERN, INFN, CIEMAT, and private companies (approximately €170,000 in collaborations).
3. Outreach & Education Services: Scientific outreach programmes, dissemination newsletters, and educational materials through Serviastro and Serviparticules platforms. No direct revenue generation, but supports institutional mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICCUB is a University of Barcelona research institute that conducts fundamental research in cosmology, astrophysics, particle physics, quantum physics, and nuclear physics, while its dedicated Technology Unit (ICCUB-TECH) designs and builds specialized scientific instrumentation including ASICs, space-qualified electronics, nanosatellite platforms, and the FAPEC data compression algorithm, providing engineering services and technology transfer to international collaborations such as ESA, CERN/LHCb, Virgo, CTA, Euclid and DESI.

Product overview

ICCUB is a research institute that develops and commercializes specialized technology products and services primarily through its Technology Unit. The core product portfolio includes: (1) ASIC-based solutions for medical imaging (PET) and precision timing (MATRIX family), (2) space technology platforms for nanosatellites/CubeSats, and (3) data compression software (FAPEC) which has been spun off into DAPCOM. The institute also operates two public outreach platforms (Serviastro and Servipartículles) providing educational resources in astronomy, cosmology, and particle physics. The Technology Unit provides comprehensive engineering services spanning electronics design, radiation detection, and big data processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ServiAstro: Astronomy and Cosmology outreach website managed by ICCUB with news, activities, resources, and travelling exhibitions.
• Servipartícules

Products and services

• MATRIX ASIC Family Family of 10-ps Time-to-Digital Converter ASICs designed in 180 nm CMOS technology, providing high Time-of-Arrival resolution at 50 MHz conversion rate while consuming approximately 10 mW per channel. Two versions: 4 differential channels (ToA) and 16 single-ended inputs (ToA and Time-over-Threshold). Designed for precision timing in particle physics, medical imaging, and LIDAR applications.
• FAPEC Data Compression Algorithm Fully Adaptive Prediction Error Coder (FAPEC) — an efficient entropy coding algorithm providing compression efficiencies often better than an ideal Huffman coder. Patented and transferred to DAPCOM Data Services spin-off. Used onboard satellite constellations for Earth Observation since 2017, with extensions to genomics, geosciences, astronomical observatories, and HPC.
• Nanosatellite Platform High-performance multipurpose platform for CubeSats featuring a robust on-board computer with redundancy, a software-defined radio based on FPGA SoC for high-speed downlink, a powerful on-board data handling system, and an efficient ground telecommand framework. Adapted for commercial and scientific applications.
• PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Detector Technology Fast and efficient nuclear-medicine imaging detectors coupled to readout electronics designed by ICCUB engineers. ASICs designed for PET medical imaging, particle detectors, and LIDAR applications, targeting better time resolution for reconstruction-less TOF-PET.
• Serviastro Outreach Platform Public-facing astronomy and cosmology outreach website managed by ICCUB providing news, activities, events, outreach resources, travelling exhibitions, astronomical agenda, live webcasts of eclipses and planetary transits, and educational materials.
• Servipartícules Outreach Platform Public outreach website providing resources and materials on cosmology, particle physics, gravitation, and atomic and nuclear physics, including past and upcoming activities, workshops, talks, dissemination news, and the Workshop on Particle Physics.
• ICCUB Technology Unit Engineering Services Comprehensive engineering services provided by ICCUB-TECH spanning analog and mixed-mode microelectronics design, FPGA design and test, PCB and system design, low-power and biomedical electronics, fast photosensor readout (PMT, SiPM, MPPCs, APDs), EMI/EMC characterization, radiation detector design/simulation/test, radiation-tolerant systems for space, software for massive data handling, scientific software optimization, and Big Data platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,463 articles published 2019–2023; 8.86 citations per paper vs UB average of 2.45
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB plays a key role in ESA's Gaia mission (Data Processing and Analysis Consortium - DPAC), managing the Barcelona Data Processing Centre and contributing to data simulation, processing, and exploitation. Also contributes to Euclid mission and ESA TRP studies (GOCA/FAPEC compression algorithm). ICCUB is part of Solar Orbiter mission (SO/PHI instrument with ISS).
• CERN (LHCb Experiment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB-TECH designed, produced, commissioned, and maintained the Scintillating Pad Detector (SPD) subsystem for the LHCb trigger at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, capable of distinguishing charged particles from photons at 40 MHz. Currently participating in LHCb upgrade.
• Virgo Collaboration / EGOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB-TECH supports updates and improvements to the overall computing model of Virgo. Implementing de-noising methods for data analysis pipelines to increase sensitivity in gravitational wave detection. ICCUB is a member of LVK Collaboration, Einstein Telescope Collaboration, and contributes to LISA mission theoretical models, computing, and instrumentation.
• CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB-TECH developing Cherenkov Telescope cameras, particularly for Large Sized Telescopes (LST) and Medium Sized Telescopes (MST) for the CTA gamma-ray observatory.
• IAXO (International Axion Observatory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB-TECH developing radiopure data acquisition electronics to improve sensitivity and reduce background of the detector using MicroMegas detectors for the IAXO axion search experiment.
• DAPCOM Data ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationSpin-off company participated by UB and UPC, commercializing FAPEC data compression technology. Founded in 2013 with ICCUB researchers (Jordi Portell as CTO, Javier Castañeda as technical advisor). FAPEC used onboard satellite constellations since 2017, with applications in Earth Observation, genomics, geosciences, astronomy, and HPC.
• IEEC (Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB is a unit of IEEC (CERCA institution). IEEC hosts units including ICCUB and ICE, promoting innovative space technologies. IEEC manages Montsec Observatory and ground station for nanosatellites. ICCUB-IEEC researchers (e.g., Nadejda Blagorodnova) work on IEEC-led missions including PhotSat CubeSat.
• DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB actively participates in the DESI survey for mapping the Universe's large-scale structure, contributing to galaxy redshift measurements and cosmological analysis.
• Euclid MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB is a full member of the ESA Euclid mission consortium, contributing to strong lensing science and data analysis for the galaxy clustering and weak lensing survey. Frédéric Courbin leads strong lensing activities in Euclid.
• Vera C. Rubin Observatory / LSSTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB participates in the Transient and Variable Star Science collaboration of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (LSST), contributing to time-domain astronomy and transient detection. Konstantin Karchev's supernova cosmology work is designed for Rubin Observatory data.
• MAGIC / LST (Cherenkov Telescopes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB contributes to electromagnetic follow-up observations at very-high-energy gamma-ray wavelengths using MAGIC and Large Sized Telescopes, supporting multi-messenger astronomy alongside gravitational wave detections.
• BlackGEMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB participates in BlackGEM, a wide-field optical telescope array for detecting and characterizing optical counterparts of gravitational wave sources and transient events.
• PLATO MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB researchers contribute to the ESA PLATO mission for exoplanet detection, including data engineering for the Ground Observation Programme (Julien Poyatos as PLATO Data Engineer).
• Solar Orbiter MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB part of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (SO/PHI) instrument team. Developed and implemented the Image Stabilization System (ISS) including camera, piezo-electric Tip-Tilt mirror controller, and FPGA control firmware.
• University of Barcelona (UB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB is a research institute of the University of Barcelona, established in 2006. ICCUB enhances and complements UB's mission in interdisciplinary research, talent attraction, training, technology transfer, and social impact. UB provides institutional framework, infrastructure, and administrative support.
• Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCUB operates the Data Processing Centre of Barcelona (DPCB) within BSC, running IDU executions on MareNostrum supercomputer for Gaia mission data processing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ICE-CSIC - Institut de Ciències de l'Espai: CSIC institute dedicated to space sciences including astrophysics, cosmology, and space instrumentation. Conducts parallel research programs to ICCUB and participates in ESA missions (Gaia, Euclid, LISA), making it a directly comparable Spanish public research organization.
• IFIC - Instituto de Física Corpuscular: Joint center of the University of Valencia and CSIC focused on particle, astroparticle and nuclear physics. Participates in CERN experiments (LHCb, ATLAS) and develops instrumentation for international collaborations, structurally analogous to ICCUB's research and technology remit.
• IIFT - Instituto de Física Teórica (UAM-CSIC): Madrid-based theoretical physics institute jointly run by Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and CSIC. Comparable Spanish public research unit with María de Maeztu/Severo Ochoa-level recognition and overlapping research scope in cosmology, particle physics phenomenology, and string theory.
• IFAE - Institut de Física d'Altes Energies: Catalan/Spanish high-energy physics research institute, also based in the Barcelona area. Conducts particle physics research and develops instrumentation for CERN and other international collaborations, making it the closest organizational and geographic peer to ICCUB.
• IEEC - Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya: Catalan space research consortium of which ICCUB is itself a unit. Operates the Montsec Observatory and ground station for nanosatellites, develops space-qualified instrumentation, and runs CubeSat missions (PhotSat), directly comparable to ICCUB's space instrumentation work.

Broad incumbents

• INFN - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare: Italian national institute for nuclear and particle physics, operating 20+ divisions and laboratories across Italy. Comparable as a national-scale publicly funded physics organization participating in CERN and ESA missions, but materially larger and broader in scope than ICCUB.
• DESY - Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron: German national laboratory for particle physics, photon science, and accelerator development. Operates large-scale user facilities and develops advanced detectors and accelerator technology, structurally comparable to ICCUB's instrumentation mission but at materially greater scale and budget.
• Max Planck Institute for Physics: German Max Planck Society institute covering particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Conducts parallel research lines to ICCUB (with significantly larger headcount) and develops instrumentation for CERN and CTA, representing a higher-resource peer in the European physics research landscape.
• CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research: Europe's flagship particle physics laboratory and ICCUB's largest research counterpart. ICCUB designs, builds, and maintains subsystems (e.g., the LHCb SPD detector) for CERN experiments, making CERN both a customer and the dominant peer in the European particle physics ecosystem.

Emerging players

• DAPCOM Data Services: Spin-off company co-participated by UB and UPC that commercializes ICCUB's FAPEC data compression technology. Operates in satellite on-board compression, genomics, and HPC markets, representing the commercialized extension of ICCUB's IP portfolio and a tightly coupled emerging entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icc_ub
• GitHubgitlab.com/icc-ub
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8HJ3IYkytEHoAOAF9gYYww
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icc-ub
• Instagraminstagram.com/iccubdivulga

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB)