BCAM receives its second "Severo Ochoa" accreditation of excellence

• This prestigious distinction recognizes the international relevance of scientific research carried out in centers that are among the best in the world in their field

The Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) has been officially recognised as a "Severo Ochoa" center of excellence by the State Agency for Research, under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, in the 2017 call for proposals. Like this, BCAM becomes the first Basque center to obtain this recognition for the second time, after having been the first to achieve it in 2013.

This accreditation is the highest recognition for centers of excellence in Spain and is granted after a rigorous evaluation process carried out by an international scientific committee. Top-level centers have competed for this distinction, which recognises the international relevance of the scientific research carried out and the global interest of the proposed work programme for the next four years. According to the State Research Agency, the accredited centers stand out not only for the impact and notoriety of the contributions made by their research but also for the business and social impact of the same, being reference centers for attracting international talent too.

Luis Vega, BCAM's scientific director, claims that this accreditation is "a great pride" for all those who are part of the center and that "it will contribute to transferring research in Applied Mathematics to other scientific, technological and industrial agents". When it comes to obtaining this recognition, he highlights the importance of the "firm and decisive support" of the Basque Government and the members of BCAM’s Board -Ikerbasque, Innobasque, Bizkaia Regional Government and the University of the Basque Country- as well as the collaboration of other centers and institutions in the area.

Vega is also grateful for the involvement of all the researchers and administrative staff during the ten years of the center's history, which has exponentially grown and is now formed by more than 90 members. With an average age of 35 and staff from 25 nationalities, BCAM is a young and dynamic center that will continue to work to achieve high level scientific results and to demonstrate that Mathematics and science in general are two fundamental engines for the development of society.