Institute of Marine Research - CSIC (Spanish Research Council)

What Institute of Marine Research - CSIC (Spanish Research Council) does

The Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM-CSIC) is a public marine research institute founded in 1951 in Vigo, Galicia, Spain, operating as one of more than 120 centers of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain's largest public research body. The institute conducts comprehensive scientific, technological, and applied research on marine ecosystems and resources, organized across 16 research groups spanning marine biogeochemistry, food biochemistry, biosystems engineering, aquatic biotechnology, marine ecology, immunology and genomics, organic geochemistry, marine products chemistry, waste valorization, and applied social sciences. Its infrastructure includes specialized laboratories (aquariums, molecular biology, histology, HPLC, ICP, imaging, nutrients analysis, ecotoxicology, fisheries, microtechniques), technical services units, and the dedicated research vessel Mytilus.

The institute's core offerings combine (i) competitive research project delivery funded through EU programs (FEMPA, LIFE, Interreg, H2020 successors) and Spanish national plans, (ii) fee-based scientific-technical laboratory services to external clients, (iii) technology transfer and direct research contracts with fishing sector enterprises, cofradías, and public administrations, and (iv) policy advisory outputs via the CSIC Science4Policy initiative. Notable applied AI capabilities include the SICAPTOR system for AI-based fish catch identification and quantification, and the PERIZIA/PERIZIA+ underwater vision platform for automated sea urchin population assessment in collaboration with regional fishing guilds; the GELFISH/PRO project extends into marine oleogel and protein hydrolyzate production from fishery discards. The institute has produced patented DNA-based species authentication methods, and related IP has been spun out into the company Xenotechs Laboratories.

The institute serves fishing sector enterprises (artisanal and industrial), aquaculture operators, public administrations (Xunta de Galicia, Principado de Asturias, FNCP), research and education partners (USC, IEO-CSIC, Universidade de Vigo), and the general public via outreach programs. Governance is anchored by CSIC oversight under the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; the current director is Beatriz Novoa García (appointed July 2024), and the institute celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2026. The revenue model is non-commercial: core operations are funded by government allocations and competitive grants, with no disclosed commercial pricing.

Name

Institute of Marine Research - CSIC (Spanish Research Council)

Legal name

Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IIM-CSIC)

Website

https://iim.csic.es

Company type

Public

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM-CSIC) is a public marine research institute in Vigo, Spain, operating under Spain's national research council CSIC. It conducts multidisciplinary marine science research, AI-based species recognition, fishery discard valorization, and policy advisory services for government, fishing, aquaculture, and academic stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Research and Oceanographic Sciences

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251), Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Marine research services
• Ocean ecosystem science
• Fisheries sustainability research
• Aquaculture research services
• Marine biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Vigo

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public institutional funding: Core funding from the Spanish government through CSIC for basic research activities, infrastructure maintenance, and institutional operations.
2. Competitive research grants: Project-based funding from EU programs (FEMPA, LIFE, Interreg, H2020), national plans (Plan Estatal), and specialized programs (Programa Pleamar, Momentum).
3. Technical and scientific services: Fee-based scientific-technical services including metal determination, microbiological analysis, and specialized laboratory services offered to external clients.
4. Technology transfer and contracts with industry: Direct contracts with fishing sector companies, public administrations, and industry for research services and consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM-CSIC) is a public marine research institute conducting fundamental and applied research on marine ecosystems, fisheries sustainability, aquaculture, ocean change, and marine biotechnology. The institute operates 16 specialized research groups, offers scientific-technical laboratory services and analytical testing, develops proprietary AI-based and biotechnological solutions (such as PERIZIA for sea urchin recognition, GELFISH for fishery discard valorization, and DNA-based species traceability), transfers knowledge to industry and government, and provides science-policy advice to public administrations on marine conservation and resource management.

Product overview

The Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM-CSIC) is a public marine research institute (1951) operated by the Spanish National Research Council. The institute offers scientific-technical laboratory services, coordinates multi-institutional research projects, organizes international scientific conferences, and conducts public science outreach programs. Key offerings include specialized marine research services, collaborative research initiatives (such as PERIZIA+ for sea urchin management using AI and GELFISHPRO for fishing waste valorization), and science communication activities like the 'Escaparates Oceánicos' initiative and the Lipids in the Ocean conference series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scientific-Technical Services (Servicios Científico-Técnicos)

Quantifiable outcome

• Development of automated sea urchin recognition system using AI for sustainable fisheries management
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on the 'Manifiesto Océano 2026' calendar project, uniting science, art and education to raise awareness about marine species protection.
• Federación Nacional de Cofradías de Pescadores (FNCP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on the PERIZIA+ project for sustainable sea urchin management using AI technologies, with fishing guilds in Galicia and Asturias participating in participatory management processes.
• Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partnership on GELFISH/PRO project for integral valorization of fishing discards and co-development of functional protein hydrolyzates and marine oleogel products.
• IEO-CSIC (Spanish Oceanographic Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-organization of the Lipids in the Ocean 2026 international conference and collaboration on Sustainable Marine Aquaculture and Biotechnology research group.
• CSIC Science4Policy InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Participation in CSIC's Science4Policy initiative, coordinating reports on aquaculture's strategic role in food security and sustainable development for policy makers.
• Universidade de VigocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership on the 'Gráficas Mariñas. Palabras de Ciencia' initiative combining science and design to bring marine research to society, and collaboration on ACUIREGAL mixed research unit.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• IOC-UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission): UN body coordinating ocean science programs and policy. Not a research operator, but a key counterpart for IIM-CSIC's policy-influence work and a coordinator of large multi-national marine research programmes relevant to the institute's grants.

Broad incumbents

• Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI): Germany's Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research covering marine biology, fisheries, ocean observation, and biogeochemistry. Larger in scale and global reach, with comparable integration of basic research and policy advisory functions.
• IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea): France's national marine research institute with comparable scope across ocean observation, fisheries, aquaculture, and marine biotech. Operates at significantly larger scale and footprint than IIM-CSIC, serving as the closest functional European counterpart.
• Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR / Havforskningsinstituttet): Norway's national marine research institute with deep focus on fisheries management and aquaculture science. Larger and better-funded, but structurally similar as a public research body advising government and industry on sustainable marine resource use.

Direct peers

• Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML): UK-based marine research charity delivering applied ocean science for government and industry. Comparable in mission (marine ecosystem science, fisheries, aquaculture, biogeochemistry) and in operating model as a public-good research entity with grant and contract revenue.
• IEO-CSIC (Spanish Oceanographic Institute): Spain's other major marine research body and CSIC sibling, with overlapping aquaculture, fisheries, and oceanography mandates. IIM-CSIC and IEO co-organised the Lipids in the Ocean 2026 conference and collaborate on the Sustainable Marine Aquaculture and Biotechnology group.
• NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research: Dutch national marine research institute conducting fundamental and applied ocean research, including fisheries and marine ecosystem science. Peer in scale and public-institute funding model, with comparable EU project portfolio.
• AZTI (Marine Research and Technology Centre): Spain-based marine and food research centre focused on sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and food innovation. Closely comparable in size and Iberian-fisheries focus; both target similar cofradía and industrial fishing stakeholders.

Emerging players

• Xenotechs Laboratories: Spin-out from CSIC/USC founded by Ricardo Pérez Martín, focused on DNA-based authentication and traceability of seafood products based on IIM-CSIC research. Demonstrates the commercial path for IIM-developed IP in species authentication.
• Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM-UVigo): Galician marine research centre at the University of Vigo, partner of IIM-CSIC on the ACUIREGAL mixed research unit. Overlaps in aquaculture and marine biology research, and increasingly competes for regional Galician marine science funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iim_csic
• Facebookfacebook.com/iim.csic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iim-csic
• Instagraminstagram.com/iim_csic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Marine Research - CSIC (Spanish Research Council)