The Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant, announced the establishment of a new center of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) in Gandia. This center will build on the successful track record of the Joint Technology Unit for Marine Studies, a collaboration between the Spanish Institute of Oceanography and Campus Gandia (UPV). This unit, the oldest of the IEO-CSIC in Spain, has been operating in Gandia for 13 years.
The Valencia Oceanographic Center (COVA), to be located in the port of Gandia, will focus on the multidisciplinary study of the marine environment, its ecosystems, and living resources. Additionally, it will emphasize technological development applied to the various research lines conducted in oceanographic centers across the country.
The Official State Gazette (BOE) has published a tender call from the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) allocating 450,000 euros for project drafting, health and safety studies, construction management, and technical assistance for the construction of the first oceanographic center of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) in the Valencian Community.
The upcoming Oceanographic Center of Valencia (COVA) aims to consolidate and expand the activities of the IEO-CSIC across the five Spanish marine demarcations, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean region. This effort will be undertaken in collaboration with the oceanographic centers in the Balearic Islands, Murcia, and Malaga.
The future center is expected to employ around 50 personnel, including researchers, technical staff, administrative staff, and more.
Additionally, the COVA will serve as a hub for young researchers eager to launch their careers by engaging in its marine research initiatives.
The COVA will further enhance the IEO-CSIC’s capacity as a leading advisory body in technological development for marine environment study and monitoring.
In this regard, the Valencian Community will gain an oceanographic center that meets the scientific advisory needs of regional authorities responsible for the marine environment, thereby strengthening various environmental protection policies.
Mayor José Manuel Prieto of Gandia welcomed the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities’ allocation of 450,000 euros for architectural services. This funding covers project drafting, health and safety studies, construction management, and technical assistance for the new Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) building in Gandia’s port area.
Prieto enthusiastically endorsed the tender for drafting the project of the IEO-CSIC’s first oceanographic center in the Valencian Community as “excellent”. He highlighted Gandia’s emergence as “a pivotal hub in Spain’s innovation and research landscape, underpinned by substantial multimillion-dollar investment.” Prieto underscored the facility’s significance as “a strategic, multi-term investment poised to revitalize Gandia and its port, generating economic momentum and cementing our identity as a city at the forefront of innovation and research.”
In relation to the contract, the mayor emphasized that it being a single contract means accelerated timelines, underscoring “further evidence of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, and Minister Diana Morant’s commitment to our city.” The contract is scheduled to run for a duration of 32 months.
