Research

UP4 universities invest more than three times as much in research, development and innovation (RDI).

· Average annual intangible investment (in RDI) by UP4 universities is €185 million. This represents 18% of total RDI investment by Spanish universities (even though together the UP4 members represent only 5% of Spanish higher education institutions).

 
  
UP4 professors and researchers publish twice as much as the Spanish average.

· UP4 universities have 5770 professors with PhDs. In total, a third of all research professors in engineering and architecture in Spain work at these institutions. Together they hold 4859 accredited research premiums.

· UP4 universities account for 10% of the scientific output of Spanish universities. Out of a total of 5576 scientific articles produced, almost half (2627) are published in academic journals in the first quartile of their Journal Citation Reports subject category.

 
  
Twice as many doctoral theses are defended at UP4 universities.

· 39% of doctoral theses in engineering and architecture disciplines defended in Spain are completed at UP4 universities.

· 9% of all theses produced in the Spanish university system are defended at UP4 universities.

 
  
UP4 universities are among the best in the world.

· International rankings measure the research activity and scientific reputation of the world’s higher education institutions (around 20,000 in total). The most prestigious of them is the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, which offers a version for Ibero-America known as ARWU Expanded. According to the ARWU, the three biggest UP4 universities are among the top 4% in the world, and the smallest is among the top 7%. In the rankings by subject area (science, engineering and computer science), UP4 universities are ranked even higher.