•  I
• a · A  I
• Accesibility  I
• Map  I
• Search  I
• Staff directory

• ::  Iniciar sessió :: 

The researcher Avelino Corma has joined the staff of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) as a distinguished researcher after being chosen during the selection process of the R&D&I incentive programme launched by the Vice-Rectorate for Research.

The aim of this programme is to attract and retain researchers with a proven track record and excellence, to strengthen and expand the activity of the university's research structures, promoting internationalisation and cooperation with other leading, renowned centres at home and abroad.

Our goal is to increase the research funds that we are awarded in highly prestigious international calls, raise our scientific output in journals with a high impact factor, optimise support for predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers' degrees and increase innovation and technology transfer.

When signing the contract, the Rector of the UPV, José E. Capilla, expressed his satisfaction at “retaining one of the greatest talents we have at the Universitat Politècnica de València. He has now become a distinguished researcher at our university and, therefore, he can devote himself entirely to scientific activity. We have high expectations and we are excited that Avelino Corma can continue performing the outstanding research and transfer work that he does with us”.

Corma continues to work at the Chemical Technology Institute (ITQ), after retiring in mid-December. Thanks to this new contract, over the next three years he will develop a research plan that, in general terms, “is focused on controlling chemical activity through molecular recognition, thus allowing us to achieve much higher selectivity for the desired products. That means less waste and the ability to switch from raw materials that originate from fossil resources to others that come from sustainable resources, such as biomass, for example. In short, sustainability and decarbonisation”, explains Corma.

Avelino Corma

Avelino Corma, a researcher and founder of the Chemical Technology Institute (ITQ), a joint centre of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), is the Spanish scientist with the highest h-index, the system that rates scientific quality based on the number of citations for articles.

Born in Moncofa (Castelló) in 1951, he is an internationally renowned expert in solid bifunctional acid–base catalysts applied to oil refining, petrochemicals and chemical processes, especially in the synthesis and application of zeolites. He has published just over 1,400 articles in international journals and he has written three books. Additionally, he is the author of 200 invention patents, of which just over twenty are currently applied and used in industrial processes.

In his prolific career, his many awards include the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research, the Jaume I Award for New Technologies, the Chinese Government's Friendship Award, the Spiers Memorial Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Grande Médaille from the French Academy of Sciences, the Rhodia Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Award for Science and Industry, the Eni Award, the Royal Society of Chemistry's Centenary Prize, the AV Humboldt Research Award, the Gabor A. Somorjai Award from the American Chemical Society, the Mexican National Award for Science and Technology, the Gold Medal from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry and the Heinz Heinemann Award from the International Association of Catalysis Societies.

Furthermore, Avelino Corma is a member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering, the European Academy, the Spanish Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering (United States), the Royal Society (United Kingdom) and he recently joined the Royal Academy of Medicine of the Valencian Community as an honorary academic member. Corma has been awarded honorary degrees from 16 universities around the world.