2021 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in chemistry

The 2021 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

Position	Institution	Share 2019	Share 2020	Count 2020	Change in Adjusted Share* 2019–2020
1	Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain	59.16	65.72	300	10.8%
2	Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Spain	51.97	45.71	119	-12.3%
3	University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain	29.21	33.23	162	13.4%
4	Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Spain	29.63	26.83	101	-9.7%
5	University of Valencia (UV), Spain	31.50	24.63	79	-22.0%
6	University of Barcelona (UB), Spain	16.68	20.15	71	20.4%
7	University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain	19.72	17.60	57	-11.0%
8	Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain	15.50	14.96	92	-3.8%
9	University of Girona (UdG), Spain	15.06	12.64	32	-16.3%
10	University of Oviedo (UniOvi), Spain	11.24	12.26	61	8.7%
11	Rovira i Virgili University (URV), Spain	9.77	11.55	40	18.0%
12	University of Zaragoza (Unizar), Spain	7.28	11.33	67	55.1%
13	University of Granada (UGR), Spain	7.06	9.78	29	38.1%
14	University of Murcia (UMU), Spain	5.00	9.77	17	94.7%
15	Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Spain	8.71	9.09	46	4.1%
16	Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain	5.79	8.57	60	47.6%
17	IMDEA Institutes, Spain	10.39	8.28	44	-20.5%
18	Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Spain	8.90	7.29	95	-18.3%
19	Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain	9.74	7.24	68	-25.9%
20	Jaume I University (UJI), Spain	9.05	7.14	46	-21.4%
21	University of Alcalá (UAH), Spain	8.50	7.11	14	-16.6%
22	CIC nanoGUNE Consolider, Spain	4.78	6.39	24	33.3%
23	University of Seville (US), Spain	5.49	6.25	50	13.6%
24	University of Valladolid (UVa), Spain	3.17	5.94	16	86.9%
25	University of Burgos (UBU), Spain	2.44	5.84	11	138.9%
26	Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering, Spain	4.51	5.81	26	28.6%
27	ALBA Synchrotron, Spain	2.92	5.00	36	70.6%
28	Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Spain	0.00	4.86	33	0.0%
29	University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Spain	3.17	4.35	11	36.7%
30	University of Málaga (UMA), Spain	3.74	4.33	17	15.3%
31	University of La Rioja (UR), Spain	2.80	4.30	12	53.0%
32	University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Spain	2.91	4.29	41	46.7%
33	University of A Coruña (UDC), Spain	5.32	4.08	13	-23.5%
34	University of Alicante (UA), Spain	4.71	3.71	39	-21.4%
35	University of Vigo (UVIGO), Spain	2.93	3.71	13	26.2%
36	San Pablo CEU University (USPCEU), Spain	0.03	3.47	6	12,363.2%
37	Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Spain	1.64	3.43	15	107.7%
38	University of La Laguna (ULL), Spain	1.15	2.77	13	141.2%
39	King Juan Carlos University (URJC), Spain	0.53	2.64	6	398.9%
40	Centre for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Spain	3.12	2.47	21	-21.1%
41	University of Salamanca (USAL), Spain	0.28	2.40	7	756.6%
42	University of Huelva (UHU), Spain	1.72	2.09	4	21.1%
43	University of Almeria (UAL), Spain	0.03	1.90	3	6,296.1%
44	Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Spain	2.00	1.72	8	-14.3%
45	Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain	2.93	1.63	7	-44.6%
46	Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), Spain	0.99	1.49	4	50.1%
47	Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT), Spain	1.03	1.04	3	1.3%
48	Nanomateriales y Polímeros S.L. (NanoMyp), Spain	0.00	1.00	1	0.0%
49	University of Navarra (UNAV), Spain	0.72	0.91	4	25.4%
50	University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Spain	0.22	0.90	4	315.3%
51	EntreChem, S.L., Spain	0.00	0.88	2	0.0%
52	La Fe University Hospital, Spain	0.00	0.87	7	0.0%
53	University of Cádiz (UCA), Spain	0.34	0.83	4	144.8%
54	University of Cantabria (UC), Spain	3.06	0.82	9	-73.1%
55	Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe (CIPF), Spain	0.73	0.78	7	6.1%
56	Catalan Health Institute (ICS), Spain	0.19	0.78	8	313.4%
57	Galician Health Service (SERGAS), Spain	0.26	0.71	8	177.3%
58	Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Spain	0.33	0.68	5	103.5%
59	Pablo de Olavide University (UPO), Spain	0.86	0.63	2	-27.4%
60	Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain	0.02	0.62	5	2,650.4%
61	CIC Energigune, Spain	2.97	0.58	2	-80.7%
62	Grupo para la Evaluación de Nuevas Variedades de Cultivos Extensivos en España (GENVCE), Spain	0.00	0.54	2	0.0%
63	Ramon Llull University (URL), Spain	0.52	0.47	2	-9.2%
64	Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Spain	0.62	0.47	2	-24.5%
65	University of Jaén (UJU), Spain	1.20	0.43	3	-64.5%
66	Fundació Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Spain	0.00	0.42	2	0.0%
67	University of Extremadura (UEx), Spain	0.00	0.41	4	0.0%
68	University of Cordoba (UCO), Spain	0.85	0.37	4	-56.0%
69	Andalusian Centre for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (BIONAND), Spain	0.00	0.32	2	0.0%
70	Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Spain	1.94	0.31	5	-84.2%
71	Cidetec Foundation, Spain	0.00	0.26	1	0.0%
72	Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Spain	0.25	0.25	1	0.9%
73	Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures (BCMaterials), Spain	0.32	0.25	3	-23.0%
74	Basque Health System (BHS), Spain	0.03	0.20	2	568.9%
75	Agrotecnologías Naturales S.L. (ATENS), Spain	0.00	0.20	1	0.0%
76	University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Spain	0.06	0.18	3	225.7%
77	Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Spain	1.14	0.17	1	-85.4%
78	Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Spain	0.00	0.16	4	0.0%
79	Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), Spain	0.67	0.14	1	-78.8%
80	Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Spain	0.06	0.14	3	153.0%
81	Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Spain	0.00	0.14	1	0.0%
82	National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Spain	0.76	0.14	6	-82.2%
83	CEU Cardinal Herrera University, Spain	0.00	0.10	1	0.0%
84	Mestrelab Research SL, Spain	0.00	0.08	1	0.0%
85	Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Spain	0.27	0.07	1	-73.0%
86	AZTI-Tecnalia, Spain	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
86	Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC), Spain	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
86	Institute of Secondary Education Maimónides (IES Maimónides), Spain	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
87	Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV), Spain	0.03	0.07	1	179.9%
88	Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Spain	0.05	0.07	1	37.1%
89	Leitat - Technological Center, Spain	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
89	Hospital Doctor Peset Spanish, Spain	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
90	Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves (HUVN), Spain	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
91	Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Spain	0.00	0.06	2	0.0%
92	Waterologies S.L., Spain	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
93	Aragon Institute of Health Sciences (IACS), Spain	0.17	0.05	2	-68.0%
94	Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre (FIBH12O), Spain	0.06	0.04	2	-24.3%
94	Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Spain	0.06	0.04	2	-24.3%
94	European University of Madrid (UEM), Spain	0.06	0.04	2	-24.3%
94	Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS), Spain	0.06	0.04	2	-24.3%

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
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2021 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in chemistry

Table criteria

Footnote