In June 2025, IMANA held its first workshop, during which the progress achieved by various research groups across different applied scientific and technological fields was presented.
The Institute brings together researchers from various scientific disciplines within a collaborative framework that promotes interdisciplinarity, scientific excellence, and internationalization. Its research activities span the entire innovation chain—from fundamental research and the design of advanced materials to characterization, analytical technologies, prototype development, and industrial applications—supported by state-of-the-art scientific infrastructure and robust national and international collaborations.
Historical overview
The University Institute for Materials and Nanotechnology (IMANA) at the University of Málaga (UMA) is a cutting-edge scientific institution. According to its statutes, its primary objective is to “bring together researchers who strengthen and advance knowledge, development, and innovation in the emerging fields of nanoscience, nanotechnology, and materials.” It provides an enabling infrastructure for fundamental and applied research in science and engineering, fostering regional socio-economic development through excellent scientific research, technological development, and specialized teaching geared toward technological advancement.
The initiative to establish IMANA culminated in its approval by the UMA Governing Council on June 17, 2022. Sadly, professors José Ramón Ramos Barrado and Daniel Collado Martín passed away before the project was completed. Following the approval from the UMA Governing Council, a steering committee—coordinated by Professor Aurelio Cabeza Díaz from the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Crystallography, and Mineralogy—continued working toward the accreditation of IMANA as an entity within the Andalusian Knowledge System.
In November 2023, the Andalusian Council of Universities issued a positive assessment for its creation, and its formal recognition by the Governing Council of the Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía) was confirmed through its publication in the Official Gazette of Andalusia (BOJA, No. 141) on July 22, 2024. In December 2024, the Institute for Materials and Nanotechnology held its inaugural election for Director, resulting in the appointment of Professor Elisa Isabel Vereda Alonso, from the Department of Analytical Chemistry. In June 2025, IMANA hosted its first workshop, during which the various research groups presented their progress across different applied scientific and technological fields.