ValER begins a new chapter with Luis Guanter Palomar at the helm of its Scientific Directorship
Castelló, 1 September 2026.
The Governing Board of the Foundation of the Valencian Community for Excellence in Research (ValER) agreed on 29 June to appoint Professor Luis Guanter Palomar as the new scientific director of the organisation.
A Professor of Applied Physics at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), a PhD in Physics from the Universitat de València and an international reference in Earth observation from satellites, from 1 September, Luis Guanter will assume the scientific directorship of ValER, following a career of outstanding international impact.
Since 2019, Guanter has led the LARS (Land and Atmosphere Remote Sensing) research group at the UPV’s Instituto Universitario de Investigación de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente (IIAMA), where he has driven some of the most significant advances in the development of remote sensing technologies for monitoring the terrestrial surface and the atmosphere. Before joining the UPV, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Freie Universität Berlin and at Oxford University, and head of the remote sensing section at the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam (Germany). His work has been particularly decisive in the detection and quantification of methane emissions from satellites, contributing to the development of key tools in the fight against climate change and in the implementation of evidence-based environmental policies.
Continuously recognised among the world’s most influential Earth science researchers by Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) ranking, Luis Guanter has established international scientific leadership through the impact of his publications and the reach of his research. In addition, in 2024 he received the Valencian Generalitat’s Distinction for Scientific Merit for his investigative excellence in the development of satellite methods for environmental applications and was honoured with the prestigious Frontiers Planet Prize, one of the world’s top recognitions in research for planetary sustainability.
His scientific activity operates in close collaboration with world-leading institutions such as the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Environmental Defense Fund, making him one of the most influential voices globally in applying space science and technology to major environmental challenges.
A transition built on solid foundations
Luis Guanter’s arrival at ValER’s scientific direction coincides with the closing of a crucial chapter for the Foundation, led by Professor Rosa Llusar Barelles, Chair of Physical Chemistry at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló. Since her appointment as scientific director, Rosa Llusar has played a key role in defining ValER’s scientific strategy and in launching an institution destined to strengthen the Valencian science and innovation system by attracting and consolidating excellence in research talent.
The Board, the Foundation team and the entire ValER community wish to express their deepest thanks to Rosa Llusar for her dedication, vision and commitment over these years. Her leadership has been decisive in the institution’s founding moments. Thanks to her effort, her ability to generate consensus and her firm belief in the value of excellence in research, ValER has transformed an ambitious idea into a reality that is already starting to attract researchers of international prestige.
Thus, the first five distinguished researchers selected in ValER’s 1st recruitment call, made in 2025 and incorporated into the Valencian system in 2026, illustrate this progress.
In the Engineering science area; Wael El Deredy, Professor of Biomedical Engineering from the University of Valparaíso (Chile), attached to the ValgrAI Foundation (Valencian Graduate School and Research Network of Artificial Intelligence); and Raúl Santos, Professor of Data Science and Intelligent Systems at the University of Bristol (United Kingdom), attached to the Universitat de València.
In the Experimental Sciences and Mathematics area; Iván Agulló, Professor of Physics at Louisiana State University (USA), who joins the Universitat de València, through which he will be part of the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), a CSIC–Universitat de València joint centre; María Val, Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at the University of Sheffield (United Kingdom), who joins IIAMA (Institute for Water and Environment Engineering) at the Universitat Politècnica de València; and Jorge Peñarrubia, Professor of Gravitational Dynamics at the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), whose affiliation will be, together with Professor Agulló, the IFIC-CSIC.
Llusar’s work has helped to give the Foundation a solid scientific identity, a coherent strategy and a reputation crucial for facing future challenges.
Looking to the future
With Luis Guanter’s incorporation, ValER begins a new phase marked by a commitment to strengthening its international positioning, driving excellence in research and continuing to attract Valencian scientists to transformative careers. Specifically for 2026, the resolution of the second call for permanent positions will enable the selection and incorporation of eight new distinguished ValER researchers, followed in subsequent years by the rest of the planned calls, aimed at reaching the recruitment of 30 researchers by 2029.
The Foundation faces this new cycle with the conviction that Guanter’s experience, scientific leadership and international recognition will decisively help ValER become a reference institution in supporting frontier science and attracting top-tier research talent.
The new scientific leadership will continue to develop ValER’s strategic mission as a Valencian Government instrument to strengthen the Valencian System of Science and Research. The Foundation, attached to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Universities, works in close collaboration with public universities, research centres and actors in the Valencian scientific ecosystem.
For further information
www.valer-f.es · info@valer-f.es
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