The UNESCO Chair in Numerical Methods in Engineering at the Technical University of Catalonia – BarcelonaTech (UPC) and CIMNE was created in 1989, becoming the first UNESCO Chair in the world focused on advancing numerical methods in engineering. The Chair was established under the auspices of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, with the aim of promoting international collaboration in research, education, and technology transfer in the field of computational mechanics and numerical simulation.

Its mission is to tackle the most demanding scientific and technological challenges in engineering by developing and applying advanced computational methods. A key priority of the Chair is to ensure capacity building and knowledge sharing, especially with lower-income countries, through initiatives that enhance higher education, training, and innovation.

Over the decades, the Chair has been a landmark of excellence thanks to its distinguished holders. Professor Olek C. Zienkiewicz, a foundational figure in the development of the finite element method, served as the first Chair holder (1989-2009) and set the scientific vision and international scope of the initiative. He was followed by Professor Jacques Périaux, known for his outstanding work in computational fluid dynamics and multidisciplinary optimization, who further expanded the Chair’s influence in Europe and Latin America (2009-2024).