The Lehendakari welcomes the researchers that have joined Ikerbasque in 2018

• Among those attending the event were BCAM researchers Marco Ellero, Santiago Mazuelas and Gianni Pagnini

The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, received the 25 scientists selected in the calls made by Ikerbasque, on December 5^th. These scientists carry out their work in universities and research centres in the Basque Country. During his speech, Urkullu highlighted the importance of the collaboration between all the institutions of the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation System, assuring that "we need to maintain and strengthen this collaboration in Basque science at a local level in order to be able to compete at a global level".

The event was also attended by Cristina Uriarte, Councillor for Education and Fernando Cossío, Scientific Director of Ikerbasque, as well as the heads of universities, research centres and technology centres in the Basque Country. Among them were the researchers from the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics - BCAM Marco Ellero, Santiago Mazuelas and Gianni Pagnini, selected candidates in the last Ikerbasque calls.

Marco Ellero joined BCAM as the leader of the CFD Modelling and Simulation research line thanks to the Ikerbasque Research Professor programme, aimed at consolidated researchers with extensive international experience and leadership capacity. Ramon y Cajal Fellow Santiago Mazuelas, on the other hand, achieved an Ikerbasque Research Fellow position, designed to attract and retain in the Basque Country experts in various branches of knowledge under the age of 40, in order to create a "pool" of scientists and researchers. Finally, Gianni Pagnini is part of the group of Ikerbasque researchers who have changed category and are consolidating their research career in the Basque Country through the Research Associate call.

Several universities, R&D centres and research centres -such as BCAM- in the Basque Country are benefiting from the contributions of the 230 top level experts Ikerbasque has hired so far on the Research Professor, Research Associate and Research Fellow calls.