Arrels-CDTI Chair 2026: what it is, who it affects and how to participate

Key data

Technology companies and innovative municipalities have had, since 22 July 2026, a new instrument to channel climate R&D&i projects with institutional backing from CDTI. The Resolution of 22 July 2026 from the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) formalizes the agreement for the creation of the Arrels-CDTI Chair, with operational headquarters at Instituto Ingenio (UPV-CSIC) in Valencia.

The approach is explicitly «place-based»: climate solutions are co-created from local communities, their institutions and their business fabric, not from laboratories disconnected from municipal reality. This opens concrete opportunities for companies that already work with municipalities of the Red Innpulso network.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement formalizes the Arrels-CDTI Chair with three institutional partners with differentiated roles:

The activities provided for in the agreement cover five major lines of action:

• Training: programs aimed at researchers, municipal technicians and technology sector professionals
• Scholarships: calls for researchers linked to territorial innovation and climate change topics
• R&D&i projects: development of applied research with a focus on local climate resilience
• Scientific dissemination: knowledge transfer to municipalities, companies and citizens
• International connection: collaboration with companies and universities from other countries

The agreement has long-term vocation and establishes a mixed monitoring committee to oversee the fulfillment of objectives. Specific economic amounts are not detailed in the extract published in the BOE.

Economic and operational impact

Although the agreement does not publish specific economic figures in the BOE extract, the operational impact for companies and municipalities is relevant in several ways:

• Access to CDTI financing: CDTI assumes the role of financier, which means that R&D&i projects developed within the framework of the chair may have institutional backing from Spain's main public technology financing agency.
• Research scholarships: scholarship calls open a channel for attracting research talent for technology companies that collaborate with the chair.
• International projection: connection with international universities and companies can facilitate access to European R&D consortia (Horizon Europe, LIFE, etc.).
• Cost for Red Innpulso municipalities: zero in direct terms, since Red Innpulso does not assume economic commitments in the agreement.

The mixed monitoring committee ensures that objectives are reviewed periodically, providing stability to long-term projects developed under this institutional umbrella.

Who does it affect?

• Technology companies working on climate adaptation or mitigation solutions at local scale
• Municipalities and towns belonging to the Red Innpulso network (innovative municipalities)
• Researchers and research groups in the field of territorial innovation, local governance and climate change
• Universities interested in collaborating with Instituto Ingenio (UPV-CSIC) or in joint projects
• Consulting firms and law offices specialized in R&D&i financing that advise companies on CDTI instruments
• Startups and spin-offs with climate technology solutions applied to urban and municipal environments

Practical example

An environmental technology company that already provides services to a municipality member of the Red Innpulso network—for example, in waste management or urban energy efficiency—can take advantage of the Arrels-CDTI Chair in the following way:

1. The municipality, through Red Innpulso, connects with the chair to co-design a local climate resilience project.
2. The technology company joins as a business partner of the R&D&i project, with institutional backing from CDTI as financier.
3. A researcher from Instituto Ingenio (UPV-CSIC) leads the scientific part of the project, while the company provides the technological solution and the municipality provides the real application context.
4. The project can apply for research scholarships called for within the framework of the chair and, subsequently, for collaboration projects with international universities.

This «place-based» model is precisely what the agreement seeks to systematize: real climate solutions, developed from and for local communities, with public financing and academic backing.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify if your client municipality belongs to Red Innpulso: if you work with municipalities, check if they are in the innovative municipalities network. That gives you direct access to the chair's channel.
2. Contact Instituto Ingenio (UPV-CSIC): it is the operational headquarters of the chair. Identify research groups aligned with your activity to explore collaborations in R&D&i projects.
3. Review scholarship calls: when the first calls are published within the framework of the chair, they can be a way to incorporate research talent with co-financing.
4. Evaluate fit with CDTI instruments: given that CDTI finances the chair, projects developed under this umbrella may have better access to other financing instruments from the agency (soft loans, business R&D projects, etc.).
5. Monitor the mixed monitoring committee: decisions on activities, scholarships and projects will be made in this body. Staying aware of its resolutions is key to anticipating opportunities.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-16743