Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC)

What Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC) does

The Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) is a joint research centre established in 1990 by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), headquartered on the UPV Campus de Vera in Valencia, Spain. It operates as an international reference centre in catalysis, new materials — with deep specialisation in zeolites — and photochemistry, employing over 300 staff drawn from more than 80 countries including 200+ researchers, engineers, technicians and pre/post-doctoral students. Research outputs include 150+ patent applications (80 developed through industry R&D agreements, 25 licensed, 5 commercially exploited, 2 in demonstration plant), 1,200+ peer-reviewed publications spanning 2005–2023, and active projects in CO2 utilisation, biomedicine, solar cells, gas sensors and microwave-driven hydrogen production. ITQ is also a designated Severo Ochoa Excellence Center for 2023–2026.

The institute monetises through four distinct streams: (1) regional, national and European public research grants (Generalitat Valenciana, MICIU/AEI, CSIC, EU programmes including FETOPEN and H2020); (2) R&D contracts with multinational companies worldwide in chemicals, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals; (3) royalties from licensing patented processes and technologies; and (4) education and training revenue from an inter-university Master's in Sustainable Chemistry, doctoral theses supervision, and specialist postgraduate schools (fluorescence/photolysis, laboratory applied techniques). Distribution to industry occurs via direct R&D agreements and technology licensing; training is delivered on-campus in Valencia. Governance is split between UPV and CSIC with no private equity or venture capital ownership. In 2024 ITQ also launched its first corporate spin-off vehicle, highlighted in CSIC's 2025 Annual Report.

Name

Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC)

Legal name

Instituto de Tecnología Química

Website

https://itq.upv-csic.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Joint UPV-CSIC research institute founded in 1990 in Valencia, Spain, specialising in catalysis, zeolites and photochemistry, serving industrial R&D clients, public funders and postgraduate trainees with a 300-person research base and 150+ patent portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research and Development Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Catalysis research
• Zeolite materials
• Photochemistry research
• R&D services
• Technology licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Valencia

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Research Grants: Research conducted through Regional, National and European funded grants, and projects funded by own resources
2. Industry R&D Agreements: ITQ obtains substantial funding from R&D agreements with multinational companies from all around the World
3. Technology Licensing Royalties: Part of revenues come from royalties of licensed technologies developed at the institute. 5 major processes/technologies commercially exploited, 2 in demonstration plant
4. Education and Training: Revenue from masters programs, doctoral theses supervision, and postgraduate training courses

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) is a public joint research institute that delivers scientific research, technology development, and postgraduate training in catalysis, new materials (especially zeolites), and photochemistry. Its commercial outputs include R&D collaboration services for multinational companies, licensing of patented catalytic and material technologies, and structured academic programs such as the Master's Degree in Sustainable Chemistry and specialist photolysis schools.

Product overview

The Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) is a research institute, not a commercial product company. Its core offerings are research services, educational programs, and specialized training courses. The main educational products include the Master's Degree in Sustainable Chemistry (an inter-university program where ITQ researchers supervise theses), the Theoretical-Practical School on Fluorescence and Laser Flash Photolysis Techniques (a specialist postgraduate course for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers), and the Specialization Course in Laboratory Applied Techniques. The institute also provides research infrastructure, characterization services, and collaborative R&D agreements with industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Máster Universitario en Química Sostenible (Master's Degree in Sustainable Chemistry) An inter-university Master's program focused on developing efficient and environmentally friendly chemical processes; ITQ researchers supervise students' Master's theses. Aimed at graduate students in chemistry and related disciplines.
• Theoretical-Practical School on Fluorescence and Laser Flash Photolysis Techniques A specialized school for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers providing theoretical and practical training in fluorescence and laser flash photolysis techniques used to investigate reaction mechanisms. Recognized as an official UPV postgraduate course (4 ECTS credits) and held annually since 2019.
• Specialization Course in Laboratory Applied Techniques Specialization course established in 2015 that provides official training on the operation of laboratory equipment available at ITQ, made official through CSIC's Postgraduate and Specialization Department. Aimed at technical, scientific, and training personnel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ patent applications filed in 15 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR, Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2024CNR leads the DAM4CO2 (Double-Active Membranes for a sustainable CO2 cycle) project. ITQ hosts the project meeting and collaborates on developing laboratory-scale reactors integrating photocatalysts on double-layer membranes for CO2 separation and conversion to hydrocarbons.
• Swansea UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the DAM4CO2 European project for CO2 utilization research, collaborating on membrane technology development.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the DAM4CO2 European project, contributing to the multidisciplinary international effort for sustainable CO2 cycle research.
• Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnología dei Materiali (INSTM, Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the DAM4CO2 project, contributing expertise in materials science and technology.
• Primalchit (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish company partner in the DAM4CO2 project, contributing to industrial applications of CO2 membrane technology.
• Me-Sep (Poland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish company partner in the DAM4CO2 project, contributing to membrane separation technology.
• hte Gmbh (Germany)coreTechnology or Integrationhte Gmbh licensed the Microdowner reactor technology developed by Laurent Sauvanaud during his PhD at ITQ for commercial exploitation.
• Institut Français du PétrolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical collaboration on José Manuel Serra's doctoral dissertation focused on development of new tools for combinatorial catalysis.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Avantium N.V. Dutch chemical technology company developing renewable chemistry and sustainable catalytic processes, including biomass conversion. Emerging player with partial overlap in biomass-to-chemicals catalysis — one of ITQ's stated research areas.
• Swansea University (Materials Science / Catalysis groups): Welsh university research group with active catalysis and membrane technology work. ITQ is collaborating with Swansea on the DAM4CO2 European project, making it a peer at the university-research-institute level with comparable expertise in CO2 conversion and membrane catalysis.

Broad incumbents

• BASF SE: World's largest chemical company with deep in-house catalysis, zeolite and petrochemical process R&D. Broad incumbent that competes with ITQ in commercializing catalytic and materials innovations to the chemical industry, with significantly larger scale and customer reach.
• Haldor Topsoe: Danish catalysis and process technology company serving refining, chemicals and renewable fuels. Comparable in catalyst and process technology scope, with relevant overlap in CO2 hydrogenation catalysts — an area of active ITQ patenting (catalyst for low-temperature CO2 hydrogenation to methane).
• Honeywell UOP: Major industrial process technology and catalyst supplier for refining and petrochemicals. Broad incumbent that competes in zeolite-based catalysts and refining processes — directly overlapping with ITQ's commercialized technology areas.

Direct peers

• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR): Italian national research council operating across multiple scientific disciplines including chemistry and materials science. ITQ is an active partner with CNR on the DAM4CO2 European project; CNR serves a comparable role as a public multidisciplinary R&D organization with a chemistry and materials mandate.
• hte GmbH: German high-throughput experimentation company that licensed the Microdowner reactor technology developed at ITQ (via PhD work of Laurent Sauvanaud). Directly comparable as a catalysis technology company that emerged from public research, with close commercial ties to ITQ through licensing.
• Cardiff Catalysis Institute: UK university research institute specializing in heterogeneous catalysis, reaction engineering and surface science. Comparable as an academic catalysis research center of similar scope to ITQ, with overlapping research areas in zeolites and industrial catalyst development.
• Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society: German Max Planck Institute conducting fundamental research in molecular physics, surface chemistry and catalysis. Directly comparable as a publicly funded, world-class research institute in heterogeneous catalysis and surface chemistry, with similar scale, publication output and industry partnerships.
• Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP Energies nouvelles): French public research institute focused on catalysis, refining and sustainable chemistry. IFP Energies nouvelles is a direct peer — ITQ has an established collaboration with IFP (historically on José Manuel Serra's doctoral work) and both operate as public research centers commercializing catalytic technologies to the petrochemical industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ITQ_UPVCSIC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdPfnqSkaRZA23kHAFDMLcA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ITQ.UPVCSIC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/itq-upvcsic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC)