The Spanish Antarctic Research Campaign is a model of cooperation between different public institutions in the service of R+D+I, within the framework of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation. The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) finances the operation and maintenance of the research vessel ‘Hespérides’ and the expenses associated with the general logistics of the campaign, including most of the expenses of the Spanish Antarctic bases ‘Gabriel de Castilla’ and ‘Juan Carlos I’. For its part, the State Research Agency (AEI) of the MICIU, finances most of the research projects through different calls of the State R+D+I Plan.
The Spanish Polar Committee, attached to the MICIU, coordinates the activities that the different agencies carry out during the campaigns promoting the development of polar research and the coordination of the necessary means for its development.
The institutions that operate the facilities and coordinate Antarctic logistics are the Marine Technology Unit of the CSIC, which manages the BAE Juan Carlos I on Livingston Island, and coordinates the general logistics of the Antarctic campaign; the Land Army, which manages the BAE Gabriel de Castilla on Deception Island and the Spanish Navy, which operates the BIO HESPÉRIDES. Both ships and Antarctic bases are part of the Spanish map of Singular Scientific and Technological Infrastructures (ICTS), exceptional facilities, resources or services of their kind, with a very high investment, maintenance and operation cost and whose importance and strategic nature justifies its availability for the entire R+D+I collective.
During the Spanish Antarctic Campaign 2025-2026 activities related to 28 research projects will be carried out. In particular, 15 projects of the National Research and International Cooperation Plan of the State Research Agency, 3 time series, 1 opportunity project of the Ministry of Defense (IHM-DGAM-INTA) and volcanic surveillance services, responsibility of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and meteorological prediction by the State Meteorology Agency (AEMET). In addition, 2 projects of the European program POLARIN (Polar Research Infrastructure Network) will be developed and 6 research projects of other national Antarctic programs (Portugal, Germany and Italy) will be supported.
All the projects and research activities carried out during the campaign will be supported by the specialized technicians of the Marine Technology Unit of the CSIC, and the endowments of the BAE Gabriel de Castilla (Land Army), of the BIO Hespérides (Spanish Navy).
In total during this Antarctic campaign, about 190 people will participate, of which 100 belong to the scientific community related to the projects of the AEI, the historical series and services, the MINDEF and international support, together with the 90 people, among technical personnel of the UTM (in BIO Hespérides, BAE Juan Carlos I and Camp Byers) and the ET endowment in the BAE Gabriel of Castilla, which includes personnel of the Corps of Engineers, and the endowment of the BIO Hespérides.
The scientific activities to be carried out are distributed, in large disciplinary groups, in projects of Life Sciences (27%), Earth Sciences (41%) and Physical Sciences (23%), and services (9%) although they are mostly multidisciplinary and multidisciplinary projects and some at the frontier of knowledge.
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