Spain’s research ecosystem spans public R&D centres, applied technology institutes, and research-driven companies working on everything from blockchain and cryptography to genomics, clinical trials, and industrial security. These environments face a unique blend of challenges: protecting sensitive datasets, enabling secure collaboration across institutions, meeting compliance requirements, and translating experimental work into production-grade outcomes. The leaders below stand out for shaping security strategy while advancing innovation in high-impact research settings.
Ignasi Oliva Corrales — Head of Innovation (Blockchain & DLT) for Cybersecurity & Blockchain DLT Research Group, i2CAT Research Centre
Ignasi Oliva Corrales leads i2CAT’s blockchain and applied cryptography innovation strategy, bridging cybersecurity research with real-world deployments. Across multiple roles at i2CAT, he has driven R&D initiatives around privacy-preserving data sharing and digital public infrastructure, including work aligned to consent management, data traceability, and interoperability. His portfolio reflects deep involvement in decentralized identity approaches (e.g., SSI), advanced privacy techniques (e.g., zero-knowledge proofs), and secure data collaboration models designed for public-sector and research use cases.
Xavier Benavides — Chief Information Security Officer, Centogene
Xavier Benavides leads Centogene’s global cybersecurity and information security strategy, focusing on protecting digital assets and safeguarding sensitive genomic and clinical data. Reporting to the CIO, he oversees technology risk management, incident response, and continuous enhancement of the organization’s ISMS and security policies. His role also includes representing the organization to auditors, strategic partners, and regulatory stakeholders—critical responsibilities in research environments where data confidentiality and compliance are central.
Jose Alberto Catala Hernansaiz — Chief Information Security Officer, Sermes CRO
Jose Alberto Catala Hernansaiz serves as CISO at Sermes CRO, bringing extensive experience leading complex IT programs in multinational contexts. His profile emphasizes end-to-end technology project leadership, IT service governance, and operational optimization—capabilities that translate well into the contract research world, where secure systems, controlled processes, and dependable delivery are essential. He is positioned to align security execution with global operations while supporting research workflows and regulated data handling.
Roberto Álvarez — Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, Dreamgenics
Roberto Álvarez combines CTO and CISO responsibilities at Dreamgenics, operating in bioinformatics and genomics-oriented technology. Alongside leading architecture and software pipeline development, he is directly involved in security and quality frameworks, including supporting ISO 27001 and ISO 13485-related work and broader compliance objectives tied to medical software. His blend of engineering leadership and security governance supports research-to-product pipelines where reliability, traceability, and secure handling of sensitive biological data matter.
Oscar Lage Serrano — Head of Cybersecurity Research and Strategy, TECNALIA Research & Innovation
Oscar Lage Serrano leads cybersecurity research strategy at Tecnalia, with a focus spanning cybersecurity and blockchain. His profile highlights leadership in building research direction, contributing to industry and academic dialogue as a speaker and professor, and active participation in major ecosystems and associations (e.g., Hyperledger, EEA, Alastria, and European cybersecurity communities). This mix of research leadership and industry engagement positions him to influence both practical adoption and strategic thinking in applied cybersecurity research.
Building Trust in Collaborative Research and Advanced Innovation
Research organizations thrive on openness and collaboration—but that same openness can amplify risk when sensitive datasets, shared infrastructure, and multi-partner projects are involved. The leaders featured here help shape how Spain’s research sector balances innovation with assurance: embedding privacy, resilience, and governance into emerging technologies, and strengthening the security foundations that enable breakthroughs to move safely from lab to real-world impact.