The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) is the department of the

Government of Spain The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the ...

responsible for developing and implementing the government policy on

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...

, technological development and

innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or service (economics), services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a n ...

in all sectors. In particular, MICIU is responsible for the exercise of research, technological development and innovation competencies in

space Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

matters, including representation and participation in

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

and International organizations. It is also responsible for the university policy. MICIU is headed by the Minister of Science, who is appointed by the

Monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

at request of the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. The Minister is assisted by five main officials, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, the Secretary-General for Research, the Secretary-General for Universities, the Secretary-General for Innovation and the Ministry's Under-Secretary. The current Minister is

Diana Morant Diana Morant Ripoll (; born 25 June 1980) is a Spanish politician who has been Minister of Science and Innovation since 12 July 2021. She has been Secretary-General of the Socialist Party of the Valencian Country since 2024 and Mayor of Gandia ( ...

. The first predecessor of this ministry was established during the regency of

Maria Christina of Austria Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria (; 21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929) was Queen of Spain as the second wife of Alfonso XII. She was queen regent during the vacancy of the throne between her husband's death in No ...

with the creation of the ''Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts'', formed by

Royal Decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, royal figure, or other relevant authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislative laws, or customary l ...

of the April 18, 1900. The first minister was Antonio García Alix. This ministry included an area for the "promotion of science".

History

Origins

At the very beginning, like many of the current ministries, the Ministry of Science responsibilities were integrated in the Ministry of Development when it was created in 1832. The first attempt of separating the responsibilities on education and science from the Development Ministry happened in 1886. This year, in order to give more autonomy to the education matters it was passed the Royal Decree of May 7, 1886, which divided the mentioned ministry into two ministries: Ministry of Public Instruction and Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts —with competencies on public and private education, education staff, inspection and promotion of knowledge, promotion of sciences, promotion of writing and

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...

archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials, in any medium, or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organ ...

libraries A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

and

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

s, the economic and infrastructure issues on these matters,

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...

meteorology Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agricultur ...

and

metrology Metrology is the scientific study of measurement. It establishes a common understanding of Unit of measurement, units, crucial in linking human activities. Modern metrology has its roots in the French Revolution's political motivation to stan ...

astronomical observatories An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Th ...

, population movements and

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es— and the Ministry of Public Works, Agriculture, Industry and Trade —with competences over public investments in

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...

and

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

and

commerce Commerce is the organized Complex system, system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered large-scale exchange (distribution through Financial transaction, transactiona ...

—. However, this royal decree that divided the Development Ministry into two ministries did not come to pass, as the necessary credits were not approved by the

Cortes Cortes, Cortés, Cortês, Corts, or Cortès may refer to: People * Cortes (surname), including a list of people with the name ** Hernán Cortés (1485–1547), a Spanish conquistador Places * Cortes, Navarre, a village in the South border of ...

Ministry of Public Instruction

Fourteen years later and inspired by the decree of 1886, the Budget Act of 1900 approved the necessary credit to split the Ministry of Development into two new ministries, and the science responsibilities were transferred to the new Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts which assumed the competencies provided for in the decree of 1886. In 1907, the Count of Gimeno, Minister of Education, created the Board for the Extension of Studies and Scientific Research (JAE). This new institution was heir to the principles of the

Institución Libre de Enseñanza The Institución Libre de Enseñanza (ILE, English: ''Free Teaching Institution'') was a pedagogical experience developed in Spain for more than half a century (1876–1939). It was inspired by the Krausism, Krausist philosophy introduced at the Co ...

, and with it was intended to end Spanish isolation and link with European science and culture, as well as prepare the personnel in charge of carrying out the necessary reforms in the areas of science, culture and education. In this way, the effort to reform, to regenerate the country, became a national enterprise, independent of the political swings, in which intellectuals of different ideology were involved. The JAE created dozens of laboratories, research centers and gave hundreds of scholarships for research abroad as well as connecting intellectuals from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and the rest of

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. Since its inception was chaired by the Medicine Nobel Prize winner

Santiago Ramón y Cajal Santiago Ramón y Cajal (; 1 May 1852 – 17 October 1934) was a Spanish neuroscientist, pathologist, and histologist specializing in neuroanatomy, and the central nervous system. He and Camillo Golgi received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or M ...

Dictatorship and CSIC

During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Franco created the Technical Board of the State (1936–38) to rule the country and the science responsibilities were assumed by the Commission of Culture and Education. With the Civil War over and the Ministry of Education restored, the science responsibilities were maintained in the Education Ministry. In 1939 it was created the

Spanish National Research Council The Spanish National Research Council (, CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe. Its main objective is to develop and promote research that will help bring about scientific and techn ...

(CSIC) which assumed the research centers and laboratories from the Board for the Extension of Studies and Scientific Research, from the Foundation for Scientific Research and Reform Studies and from the

Institute of Spain The Institute of Spain (, IdE) is a Spanish learned society, grouping ten royal academies. The institute is part of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, which partially funds these organizations. The organization is headquartered ...

. Minister

José Ibáñez Martín José Ibáñez Martín (18 December 1896 in Valbona, Aragon – 21 December 1969 in Madrid) was a Spanish politician who was a long-serving member of the Cabinet of Francisco Franco. From 1939 to 1967 he also served as President of the Spanish N ...

was its first President. Without permanent staff, the first years of the CSIC was limited to consultative responsibilities to the Government, but in 1945 it was approved the first permanent scientific positions, limited to technical research and agriculture. The last years of the dictatorship were the most relevant to science. In 1966, the Ministry of National Education was renamed Ministry of Education and Science being this one the first time that the word "science" appeared in a Ministry and remained like that until 1979 when for the first time the responsibilities on universities and research got their own ministry named Ministry of Universities and Research.

Democracy

This new ministry assumed the functions of the

Secretary of State for Universities and Research The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, known in its early years as Secretary of State for Universities and Research, is the second highest office of the Ministry of Science (Spain), Ministry of Science, Innovation and Uni ...

that had been created in 1977 within the Ministry of Education and Science, and other administrative bodies of scientific competence, as well as some bodies dependent on the Office of the Prime Minister. In 1980 the National Museum of Science and Technology was created and in 1986 the

Carlos III Health Institute The Carlos III Health Institute (; ISCIII) is a Spanish public health research institute, legally constituted as a public research agency (), a type of quasi-autonomous entity under Spanish law. The ISCIII is integrated in the Department of Scie ...

and the Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research. Without reaching two years of life, the Ministry was merged again with the Education Ministry and, with different denominations, remained so until in 2000, when the Premier

José María Aznar José María Alfredo Aznar López (; born 25 February 1953) is a Spanish politician who was the prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He led the People's Party (Spain), People's Party (PP), the dominant centre-right political party in Spai ...

, created the Ministry of Science and Technology that grouped the competences on scientific research of the Ministry of Education, and the competences on technological development of the Ministry of Industry and Energy, including telecommunications; retaining the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport the universities responsibilities. After four years without much success, the ministry was reinstated in the Education Ministry by Prime Minister

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (; born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. O ...

who recovered the old name of Ministry of Education and Science. However, in his second term Zapatero again granted ministerial rank to scientific competencies with the Ministry of Science and Innovation in order to depend less "on the construction and more outstanding services of knowledge, invest more in science and technology, help to companies to innovate and coordinate universities and research centers». However, the dependence on construction did not stop and with the outbreak of the

property bubble A real-estate bubble or property bubble (or housing bubble for residential markets) is a type of economic bubble that occurs periodically in local or global real estate markets, and it typically follows a land boom or reduced interest rates. A ...

and the

2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...

made the following government, led by

Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Brey (, ; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a 2018 vote of no confidence in the government of Mariano Rajoy, vote of no confidence ousted his government. A m ...

, in an effort to reduce public spending, reduced the size of the

Administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. ** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...

merging the Ministry of Science and Innovation with the

Ministry of Economy A Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Economic Affairs, or Department of Commerce is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the economy or economic policy. List Examples of such mi ...

. During the premiership of Rajoy, the State Research Agency was created. Already with a better economic situation, the new government of

Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2017, having p ...

recovered the Department of Science including not only the scientific and innovation competencies, but also recovering for this Ministry the responsibilities on universities that the Ministry already had under the premiership of Adolfo Suarez, naming as Science Minister astronaut

Pedro Duque Pedro Francisco Duque Duque, Order of Friendship, OF, Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration", OMSE (born Madrid, 14 March 1963) is a Spanish astronaut and aeronautics engineer who served as Ministry of Science (Spain), minister of Science from ...

. In 2020, the department lost its power over universities due to the creation of the Department of Universities. In November 2023, and after years of insistence by the scientific and university community, the University Ministry was abolished and its functions returned to this department.

Organization chart

The Department of Science and Innovation is structured in the following bodies: * The Secretariat of State for Science, Innovation and Universities ** The

General Secretariat for Research The General Secretariat for Research (, SGI) is a component of the Spanish Department of Science and Innovation responsible for promoting the Spanish scientific research, as well as coordinating the different organizations and administrations tha ...

***The Technical Cabinet ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Consortiums, Organizations and International Scientific Infrastructures ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Large Scientific-Technical Facilities ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Public Research Organizations and Entities ** The General Secretariat for Universities *** The Technical Cabinet ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Institutional Relations, Programs and Quality in Universities ***The Deputy Directorate-General for University Professors Training and Management of Aid Programs ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Degrees and University Planning ** The General Secretariat for Innovation ***The Technical Cabinet ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Innovation Promotion ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Innovation Policies ***The Deputy Directorate-General for Aerospace Policy and Strategy ** The Special Commissioner for Vanguard Health. *** The Technical Division for Vanguard Health ** The Directorate-General for Planning, Coordination and Knowledge Transfer *** The Deputy Directorate-General for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation *** The Deputy Directorate-General for Transfer **The Deputy Directorate-General for Institutional Relations and International Coordination * The Undersecretariat of Science, Innovation and Universities ** The Technical General Secretariat *** The Deputy Technical General Secretariat *** The Deputy Directorate-General for Administrative Appeals and Court Relations *** The División for Citizen Services and Publications *** The División for Transparency and Data Protection **The Technical Cabinet **The Deputy Directorate-General for Human Resources and Inspection of Services **The Administrative Office **The Deputy Directorate-General for Economic Management **The Budget Office **The Deputy Directorate-General for European Funds for Research, Innovation and Universities **The IT Division

Agencies

* The

(CSIC) * The State Research Agency (AEI). * The Spanish Space Agency (AEE). * The

(ISCIII). * The Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT). * The Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC). * The National Museum of Science and Technology (MUNCYT). * The

Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology The Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (; CDTI) is a public organization for technology development in the Kingdom of Spain. Organization It was part of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, later was part of Ministr ...

(CDTI). * The

. * The University Council. * The University Policy General Conference. * The State University Student Council. * The College of Spain in Paris. * The

Menéndez Pelayo International University Menéndez Pelayo International University ("UIMP" in Spanish) is a public university with administrative headquarters in Madrid and campuses in Santander, Valencia, Barcelona, Cartagena, Cuenca, Granada, La Línea de la Concepción, Seville a ...

(UIMP). * The

National University of Distance Education The National Distance Education University (, UNED) is a distance learning and research university founded in 1972 and is the only university run by the government of Spain. The headquarters is located in Madrid, with campuses in all Spanish aut ...

(UNED) * The

National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation The National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (, ANECA) is the authorised agency of the Spanish government whose aim is to provide external quality assurance for the Spanish higher education system and to contribute to its constan ...

(ANECA). * The Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE).

List of officeholders

Office name: *Ministry of Universities and Research (1979–1981) *Ministry of Science and Technology (2000–2004) *Ministry of Science and Innovation (2008–2011; 2020–2023) *Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (2018–2020; 2023–present)

Notes

Notes and references

Official website of Ministry of Science

External links

Official website
{{International Science Council 1900 establishments in Spain

Education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

Spain, Education

Calle de Alcalá Research in Spain Members of the International Science Council