Science and innovation
for a sustainable planet.

Biodiversity in all its components (genes, species and ecosystems) plays a fundamental role in the way natural systems and processes operate, therefore influencing ecosystem services and natural capital. The research area focuses on the status and trends of biodiversity and the services provided by ecosystems, incorporating ecological modelling, global change scenarios, citizen's perceptions and valuation methods. Emphasis is given to the development of frameworks to support the decision-making process, governance and corporate business, to create nature-based solutions for a sustainable environment.

Modern societies have been continuously improving the wellbeing and life quality of their citizens. However, while urbanization extends, the pressures on the natural environment increase. Within the context of this thematic area, IB-S seeks to bridge natural and humanized environments in a balanced interrelation. IB-S aims at developing alternative strategies to sustainably construct, repair and conserve Built Environment and Built Heritage, as well as to promote their resilience against disruptions and catastrophic events, including the Life Cycle Analysis and Risk Assessment.

Circular Economy and Bio-based Solutions deal with the great societal and environmental challenges related to the excessive exploitation of limited natural resources and an ever-growing generation of wastes and pollutants. IB-S combines biologically inspired designs with waste valorisation and remediation approaches, recycling and reusing to close the circularity loop. We use microbial cell factories as a biotechnological platform for the sustainable production of value-added products, integrate bioproducts for industrial valorisation, and conduct ecological footprint analyses to support decision-making and promote sustainable consumption.

Space, oceans, coasts and inland waters are interconnected in a delicate equilibrium, in which human actions play a key role. The research line in Space, Oceans, Coastal and Inland Waters focuses on Earth's systems and their relation to human activities from the viewpoint of observing, documenting, monitoring and modelling towards a sustainable management. Space systems enable unprecedented earth observation possibilities. Ocean and coastal systems include several important fields for IB-S activity, such as energy, fisheries, ecosystems health, oceans accounting, and blue economy.

Smart and electroactive materials represent a frontier of materials science with direct applications in sustainability. IB-S research in this area focuses on the development of intelligent materials and structures with bio-mimetic properties, self-regenerative capabilities, and advanced functional performance for applications in construction, energy harvesting, sensors, and biomedical devices.

Digital technologies are transformative enablers for sustainability across all IB-S research domains. This area covers digital twins, IoT-based monitoring systems, machine learning for environmental data analysis, sustainable telecommunications networks, and software platforms that support evidence-based decision-making for ecosystem management, built environment performance, and circular economy implementation.

The energy transition is central to achieving sustainability goals. IB-S research addresses renewable energy integration, energy efficiency in the built environment, offshore energy production systems, energy storage technologies, and the socio-economic dimensions of the transition. The interdisciplinary approach connects materials science, engineering, ecology, and policy to develop solutions that are technically robust and socially equitable.

At the intersection of environmental science and human health, IB-S research in health and biotechnology addresses the impacts of environmental change on public health, the development of biosensors and biomonitoring tools, bioremediation strategies, and biotechnological innovations for healthcare applications. The focus is on evidence-based approaches that connect ecological health with human well-being in a One Health framework.