About ELLIS Alicante

Learn more about ELLIS Europe and ELLIS Alicante in our brochure.

Leading human-centric AI research in Europe

ELLIS Alicante is Spain’s first member of the ELLIS European network for research excellence—uniquely established as an independent non-profit research foundation with the agility of a scientific startup and the rigor of world-class research.

Our mission is clear: advance ethical, responsible, and human-centric artificial intelligence that serves society. We are the only ELLIS unit devoted exclusively to this critical challenge.

Setting new standards in transparency and governance

ELLIS Alicante exemplifies how research institutions should operate in the 21st century:

Transparent operations

We publicly share our annual reports and financial accounts, providing full visibility into our activities, funding, and impact—a level of openness rare among research institutions. Our accounts are independently audited by external auditors to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Exemplary governance

Our governance structure ensures accountability and excellence:

• Independent Board of Trustees overseeing strategic direction and financial stewardship
• Scientific Advisory Board of international experts guiding research priorities
• Rigorous ethical review of all research involving human participants
• Conflicts of interest policies ensuring integrity in all partnerships and publications

Open science commitment

We make our research accessible through open publications, open-source code, and public datasets—democratizing knowledge and enabling others to build on our work.

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Achievements and impact

Since our founding, ELLIS Alicante has established itself as a leading force in human-centric AI:

Recognition

• 2022 Spanish Social Innovation Award from the Spanish Association of Foundations
• International media coverage including WIRED, Financial Times, and leading scientific outlets
• COVID-19 pandemic response providing data-driven insights featured globally, including winner of the XPRIZE Pandemic Response Challenge
• Policy influence contributing to European AI regulations and Spanish labor law discussions

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Our research areas

We address three critical challenges at the intersection of AI and society:

AI to understand us Modeling human behavior at individual and societal scales—from personalized recommendations to pandemic response and crisis prediction.

AI that interacts with us Developing intelligent systems that work naturally with people through smartphones, personal assistants, and conversational interfaces.

AI that we trust Tackling ethical challenges including algorithmic fairness, privacy protection, transparency, and societal impact—ensuring AI serves everyone equitably.

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Strategic partnerships

Our work is made possible through strategic partnerships with the Generalitat Valenciana, European Union, Intel, and Fundación Banco Sabadell. These partnerships represent substantial multi-year funding commitments with clearly defined research objectives and regular progress reviews, focused on advancing fundamental science and societal benefit through independent research.

Learn more: Annual Reports | Our Research | Our Team | Major Funders