LIM / UPC

The Maritime Engineering Laboratory (LIM/UPC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech is an internationally renowned research center that forms part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Barcelona School of Civil Engineering. As a public non-profit organization, its fundamental mission is to generate cutting-edge knowledge in marine engineering and science and transfer it to society in order to address major coastal and maritime challenges.

Founded in 1987, LIM/UPC is distinguished by its multidisciplinary team of high-level researchers, technicians, and academics, whose activity focuses on fundamental and applied research, professional training, and the development of innovative technology for the sustainable management of the marine and coastal environment.

To this end, the LIM/UPC concentrates its expertise in several interdisciplinary lines of research:

·         Coastal Hydrodynamics and Morphodynamics.

·         Port and Coastal Engineering.

·         Physical and Operational Oceanography.

·         Maritime Climate and Water Quality.

·         Integrated Coastal Zone Management.

The excellence of LIM/UPC is based on a powerful synergy between numerical modeling and physical experimentation. On the one hand, it has developed a suite of numerical models capable of accurately simulating complex processes such as waves, currents, sediment transport, and the impact of structures. On the other hand, it has first-class experimental facilities designed to validate these models. Its most emblematic facility is the Maritime Research and Experimentation Channel (CIEM), one of the largest and most versatile wave and current channels in Europe, which forms part of the iCIEM node of the  MARHIS distributed Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS).

This combination of advanced modeling, large-scale experimentation, and a highly qualified team consolidates LIM/UPC as a key player in the search for innovative and sustainable solutions to the present and future challenges of maritime engineering and coastal management.