Public universities continue to lead scientific research in Spain

Scientific research at Spanish universities continues to be driven primarily by the public sector, which accounts for over 95% of total scientific output, 92% of officially recognised research periods (six-year terms), and nearly all predoctoral and postdoctoral contracts. These findings are presented in the latest edition of the IUNE Observatory, which analyses research activity trends in the Spanish university system between 2014 and 2023. The observatory is promoted by the A4U Alliance, comprising the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF).
 
In terms of scientific output, the Spanish university system produced a total of 648,594 publications over the past decade, with public universities responsible for 95% of them. Academic productivity also remains significantly higher in the public sector, with an average of 1.40 publications per lecturer in 2021, compared to 0.33 in the private sector in 2023.
 
Despite a 219.9% increase in teaching staff at private universities over the period, their contribution to key indicators of research quality and competitiveness remains limited. In 2023, the average number of recognised research periods per lecturer in private universities stood at 0.06, compared to 0.25 in public institutions.
 
The report also highlights the territorial importance of the public system. In regions such as Galicia, Asturias, and Castilla-La Mancha, private universities have no research presence, while in others, such as Andalusia, their contribution is minimal (1.2%). By subject area, public universities dominate scientific output in Experimental Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, and Computer Science.
 
International collaboration has also grown steadily, with more than 54% of research articles co-authored with foreign institutions. Public universities lead this area as well, along with research impact: Spanish university system publications have received over 13.5 million citations, and the share of articles published in top-quartile (Q1) journals has risen to 60.8% in 2023.
 
In terms of attracting competitive funding, public universities account for the vast majority of projects funded under Spain’s National R&D&I Plan and the EU Framework Programme, with a 143% increase in European projects awarded between 2014 and 2023.
 
Public universities also play a leading role in innovation, despite a general decline in patent numbers in recent years, and continue to drive the training and recruitment of new researchers. In 2023, they received over 97% of predoctoral contracts and nearly all of the prestigious Juan de la Cierva and Ramón y Cajal postdoctoral fellowships. “These figures confirm the public system’s ability to attract and retain research talent across all stages of the academic career,” says Elías Sanz-Casado, Professor of Library and Information Science at UC3M and General Coordinator of the IUNE Observatory.
 
With sustained growth in public investment in higher education since 2015 and increased visibility of science produced by public universities, the IUNE Observatory report reinforces the central role of these institutions in Spain’s R&D&I ecosystem. In contrast, while the private university system continues to expand, its contribution to scientific quality, impact, and competitiveness remains very limited, according to the Observatory’s indicators.
 
The IUNE Observatory receives the support of the Ministry for Science, Innovation and Universities, as well as of a large number of institutions such as the (Spanish) National Quality Assessment and Accreditation Agency (ANECA), the Spanish University Rectors’ Conference (CRUE), the Centre for  Industrial Technological Development  (CDTI), the Catalan University System Quality Agency (AQU Catalunya) and the Basque University System Quality Agency (Unibasq).
 
More information:
https://iune.es/