Our distinctive role

  • Contributing to the sustainability of life on the planet
  • To improve people’s health
  • To invigorate the business fabric and society
  • To maintain and generate new quality employment
  • Generate ideas to learn, transform and progress
  • Promote strategic transformation projects with companies and institutions willing to take on challenges.

Purpose, Mission, vision and values

Purpose

Our dream is to contribute to a healthy, sustainable and whole society. A society that enjoys, in balance with nature. A society where science and high-impact technology drive positive change for people’s future.

Mission

Our mission is to create and transmit knowledge, through the development of transformational projects with organisations that are willing to accept the challenge of achieving the sustainability goals of the United Nations, generating wealth and improving the well-being of humanity.

Vision

By 2030 we will have become a key player in the European marine and food scene, providing cutting-edge, value-added products and technologies based on sound science and research.

Values

Our culture is driven by collaborative and transformative innovation, value generation, respect, transparency, commitment, efficiency and curiosity.

  • Networked innovation across teams, and together with clients and the environment to connect ideas and generate value.
  • Empathy for all points of view to broaden our capacity to understand and transform.
  • Diversity, driving positive change for the future of people. OUR EQUALITY PLAN
  • Transparency when communicating to build trust and credibility.
  • Commitment to science to find innovative solutions to society’s challenges and questions.
  • Efficiency at work to create a competitive, motivating and agile environment.
  • Curiosity to learn what we do not know and grow as professionals and as people.
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Areas of expertise

AZTI is organised around 10 research areas:

ODS en los que trabaja AZTI

2023 in figures

1981

The year that AZTI was founded

1824

Indexed publications

290

Employees

65%

Of research personnel are doctors

58%

Women

226

Indirect jobs promoted

384

Live projects

198

Clients

23M€

Income

Business stimulation

For each Euro we invest in R&D, the fisheries sector moves 7 and the food industry 15

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Industrial and social fabric revitalisation is a challenge for AZTI

We contribute to innovation, creating value and increasing competitiveness in the public and private sectors

We transform knowledge into business opportunities and are committed to projects with companies as the main channel for transferring results to the industrial fabric. We achieve this by granting licenses and creating new companies based on technologies developed as part of our research activities.

We promote the creation of New Technology-based Companies (NTBCs) and help them in their continuous development.

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Scientific excellence

The high scientific quality combined with the application of research results is the reason why our research team has become an international benchmark


  • AZTI is recognised in the SCIMAGO index, which assesses excellence at a global level, for its contribution to research, innovation and social impact. Only 23% of institutions worldwide in our fields of knowledge match or exceed our results.
  • The number of scientific publications remains at around 120 indexed publications per year (>75% in first-quartile journals), with more than 6,000 citations to AZTI work in 2023. In terms of impact, the number of citations is steadily increasing and exceeds 30 citations per publication.
  • 8% of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), the scientific committee of experts that advises the European Union on fishery matters, is made up of AZTI researchers. We are the research centre with the highest representation in this committee in Europe.
  • AZTI’s scientific staff participates or leads different scientific committees in areas related to our research fields. The scientific vice-presidency of ICES an ICCAT and the work as representatives of the EU to the fishery management bodies ICCAT, IOTC, IATTC and WCPFC are worth noting.
  • The General Secretariat for Fisheries has sought the expertise of AZTI Fisheries to advise on the implications of the new European regulation on discards. In addition, the European Parliament has asked for our input in reporting on decarbonisation and the circular economy in fisheries.

Accreditations and certifications

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Golden recognition in Advanced Management

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Golden Q 2011

Excellence in management

ISO 27001
ISO 27001

Information security management systems

Information security policy Scope of certification
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UNE-EN ISO 17025:2017

Accredited laboratory

Accreditation Certificate Accreditation Scope
UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015

Quality management systems

Scope of certification
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UNE- EN ISO 14001:2015

Environment management system

Scope of certification
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UNE 166002:2021

Management of R & D: Management System Certificate

Scope of certification
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OHSAS 18001:2007

Management of Security and Health at Work

Policy on health and safety at work Scope of certification
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AZTI policies

Management Policy
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Member of Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA)

A great Alliance to boost the Basque technological ecosystem

BRTA is an alliance formed by 4 collaborative research centers (CIC BioGUNE, CIC NanoGUNE, CIC BiomaGUNE and CIC EnergiGUNE) and 12 technology centers (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker and Vicomtech) with the aim of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque companies.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration among its centers; to strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness; and to spread the Basque scientific and technological capacity.

BRTA employs 3,900 professionals, has an annual turnover of more than €300 million, generates 120 European and international patents per year and 1,500 scientific publications per year.

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Partner of EIT Food

EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative that works to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and reliable.

As a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), EIT Food connects partners from leading businesses, universities, research centres and institutes across 13 countries in Europe and from the entire food value chain.

EIT food is a pan-European partnership, with a consumer-centred approach, to empower innovators, entrepreneurs and students to develop world-class solutions to societal challenges, accelerate innovation, create jobs and increase Europe’s competitiveness.

The partnership’s aim is to develop a highly skilled food sector, which collaborates with consumers to provide products, services and new technologies, which deliver a healthier lifestyle for all European citizens.

As one of the largest food-related initiatives worldwide. EIT Food wants Europe to lead a global revolution in food innovation and production. EIT Food’s ambition is to redesign the way we produce, deliver, consume and recycle our food and to create a future-proof and effective food sector which supports a sustainable and circular bio-economy.