President of the Government and Minister of Science visit ICMAT following recognition of its contributions to progress on one of the Millennium Problems

18 September, 2026

From left to right: Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Diego Córdoba, Pedro Sánchez, Diana Morant, and Javier Aramayona. Image: Laura M Iraola/ICMAT.

Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government, and Diana Morant, Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, visited the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT) today, September 18, on the occasion of the recent milestones in the study of fluid equations, driven by the work of researchers Diego Córdoba (ICMAT-CSIC) and Luis Martínez-Zoroa (Cunef Universidad).

The mathematical strategy developed by Córdoba and Martínez-Zoroa over nearly a decade (the so-called “cascade” of vorticity layers) has served as the basis for the teams that in recent days have announced advances on the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations and, specifically, on one of the Millennium Problems, using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

During the visit, which began at 11:30 a.m., the delegation attended a seminar organized within the framework of two of the key programs of ICMAT’s Severo Ochoa excellence program: the Severo Ochoa Laboratories (specifically, the Hitchin-Ngô Laboratory) and the “Enhancing mathematical bridges between Spain and Latin America” program: Stability conditions for coherent systems on integral curves, given by Marcos Jardim (Unicamp, Campinas). Afterward, they met with several of the center’s researchers who have received grants from the European Research Council (ERC), and met with Diego Córdoba and Luis Martínez-Zoroa to learn firsthand about their work on fluid equations.

In that conversation, Córdoba explained the long journey of this research, which dates back to his doctoral thesis at Princeton University (USA) in 1998. According to Córdoba, the President “showed great interest in the field of mathematics research and science in general” and was also “concerned about the training of new generations in this landscape shaped by the incorporation of AI.”

The visit also included a tour of the center’s library and its collection of first editions of science books, and concluded with a press conference at which the Government announced new measures related to the creation of new universities.

The President of the Government had the opportunity to talk with research staff at different career stages. Image: Pool Moncloa / Sandra Armada

A flagship center of Spanish scientific talent

In her remarks, Diana Morant highlighted the center’s trajectory: “ICMAT is one of the great centers of scientific excellence. Here, science is done at the highest level, the best researchers are trained, Spanish scientific talent is boosted, and international talent is attracted […] Since it first received Severo Ochoa accreditation, in the very first call, it has never lost it.” The minister also underlined the role of Diego Córdoba and Luis Martínez-Zoroa: “ICMAT’s work has helped take a giant step toward solving one of the Millennium Problems in mathematics, on the Navier-Stokes equations. Congratulations to Luis and Diego, the true protagonists of this scientific achievement.”

For his part, Pedro Sánchez noted that the result “illustrates that investing in knowledge over time, having conviction, and persevering is the key to scientific progress,” and added that the visit “reminds us why we need a strong public university system — one capable not only of training talent but also of sustaining research and opening paths that others can later follow.”

Javier Aramayona, director of ICMAT, also emphasized the value of long-term research: “In this visit we were able to talk about the importance of institutions that enable long-term research and the creation of the spaces and resources needed for a deep understanding of problems.”

Also attending the visit were Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities; Francisco Martín Aguirre, Government delegate in the Community of Madrid; Julián Garde López-Brea, president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE); José Manuel Fernández de Labastida del Olmo, director of the State Research Agency (AEI); Pilar Paneque Salgado, director of the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA); Francisco García Pascual, Secretary General of Universities; Eloísa del Pino, president of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC); and Amaya Mendikoetxea, rector of the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM).