Eugenio Oñate


Eugenio Oñate Ibañez de Navarra is a distinguished academic and researcher in computational mechanics and engineering. Over four decades he has significantly contributed to the development of numerical methods for solving engineering problems. He founded and directed for 37 years the International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering in Barcelona, Spain, where he led many research projects, including an Advanced Grant and two Proof of Concept projects funded by the European Research Council. As a professor at UPC he has mentored 73 completed PhD theses and numerous students and researchers, fostering several generations of engineers and scientists.
His research contributions encompass finite element and particle-based methods for applications in solid and fluid mechanics and fluid–structure interaction. His work is widely recognized through his extensive publication record, his editorial activity in scientific journals, his numerous plenary lectures at international conferences, and the prestigious awards he has received, such as the Gauss–Newton Medal of the IACM and the Ritz–Galerkin Medal of ECCOMAS.
His contributions have advanced theoretical understanding in computational mechanics and enabled practical applications in several engineering disciplines, from civil and mechanical engineering to industrial forming processes. Prof. Oñate has maintained a strong commitment to interdisciplinary research and collaboration with academic institutions, research centers and industry worldwide. His leadership has helped position CIMNE and UPC as global references in computational mechanics and engineering, promoting innovation and excellence in engineering research and education.
WWW cimne.upc.es/eo

Education

  • **Ingeniero de Caminos, Canales y Puertos **, ', Spain
  • **Master of Science**, ', United Kingdom
  • **Doctor of Philosophy **, ', United Kingdom
  • **Doctor Ingeniero de Caminos, Canales y Puertos **, ', Spain

Current Position

Emeritus Professor,, Barcelona, SpainDistinguished Senior Researcher,

Academic and Scientific Positions

  • 1981 – Sep 2023: Full Professor in Structural and Continuum Mechanics,
  • 1983 – 1989: Director of the School of Civil Engineering,
  • 1987 – 2022: Founder,
  • 1987 – 2023: Director and Vice President,
  • 1989 – 2004: President,
  • 1992 – 1995: President of the Scientific Council,
  • 1992 – 1995: Director of the Structural Mechanics Department,
  • 1993 – 1996: Vice-President,
  • 1994 – 2002: General Secretary,
  • 2000 – 2004: President,
  • 2002 – 2010: President,
  • 2004 – : Honorary President,
  • 2019 – 2024: Scientific Director,
  • Sep 2023 – : Emeritus Professor,
  • 2024 – : Distinguished Senior Researcher,
  • 2025 – : President of the Board of Trustees,, Madrid, Spain

Scientific Contributions

Prof. Oñate has contributed extensively to the development of numerical methods for structural mechanics and continuum mechanics. He founded and directed it for more than 35 years, leading multiple international research projects, including European Research Council Advanced Grants.
He has supervised over 70 PhD students and numerous researchers. His research includes finite element method, PFEM, solid mechanics, and fluid–structure interaction. His work has been recognized with awards such as the Gauss–Newton Medal of the IACM and the Ritz‑Galerkin Medal of ECCOMAS.
  • 1990 – Catalonian Medal for Research "Narcís Monturiol".
  • 1995 – Medal to Professional Merit of the Spanish Institution of Civil Engineers.
  • 1996 – Eric Reissner Medal in Computational Mechanics.
  • 1998 – Fellow of the International Association for Computational Mechanics.
  • 1998 – Computational Mechanics Award.
  • 1999 – Accésit to the City of Barcelona Award in Technological Research.
  • 1999 – Narcís Monturiol Award from the Catalonian Government.
  • 2000 – Award of the Spanish Group for Fracture Mechanics.
  • 2000 – Award of the Argentinian Association for Computational Mechanics.
  • 2001 – Medal of the School of Civil Engineering of UPC.
  • 2002 – City of Barcelona Award in Technological Research.
  • 2002 – Highly Commended Award for Outstanding Paper in Engineering Computations. Emerald Literati Club.
  • 2003 – Award for Excellence for Outstanding Paper in Engineering Computations.
  • 2004 – University of Jyväskylä Medal.
  • 2004 – Duran i Farell Award of UPC for Excellence in Research and Technology Transfer.
  • 2007 – Award from the Spanish Association for Numerical Methods in Engineering.
  • 2008 – Grand Prize of the Japan Society for Computational Engineering and Science.
  • 2009 – Literati Award for Excellence for Best Paper in Engineering Computations.
  • 2009 – O. C. Zienkiewicz Medal of the Polish Association for Computational Mechanics.
  • 2009 – Ted Belytschko Applied Mechanics Award of ASME.
  • 2009 – Computational Mechanics Award of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.
  • 2010 – Gauss–Newton Medal of the International Association for Computational Mechanics.
  • 2011 – Advanced Grant of the European Research Council.
  • 2013 – Argentinian Government Award “Dr. Luis Federico Leloir”.
  • 2016 – Proof of Concept Grant.
  • 2017 – Second Proof of Concept Grant.
  • 2018 – Award of the Ministry of Science of Cuba for Innovative Particle Methods.
  • 2019 – Ildefonso Cerdà Award.
  • 2020 – Ritz–Galerkin Medal of ECCOMAS.
  • 2023 – Bathe Award to Best Paper in Computers and Structures.
  • 2023 – Ícaro Award in Structural Engineering.
  • 2023 – Joan Roget Award to Knowledge Transfer.
  • 2024 – National Research Award in Engineering, Government of Spain.

Honorary Doctorates and Fellowships

  • 2000 – Doctor Honoris Causa, Ovidius University, Constanța.
  • 2005 – Honorary Member, Portuguese Association for Theoretical, Applied and Computational Mechanics.
  • 2007 – Honorary Fellow, Swansea University.
  • 2012 – Doctor Honoris Causa, INSA-Lyon.
  • 2013 – Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Marta Abreu de Las Villas.
  • 2021 – Doctor Honoris Causa, Polytechnic University of Saint Petersburg.

Academy Memberships

Quality and Originality of His Research

Prof. Oñate is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the development of numerical methods that have been incorporated into commercial engineering software. His early contributions provided the basis for solving complex industrial forming problems through innovative finite element techniques.
He is the first author of one of the seminal papers introducing the finite point method, a meshless strategy suitable for problems involving complex geometries, free-surface flows and moving boundaries.
He is also one of the founders of the particle finite element method, a Lagrangian approach combining features of particle methods and the finite element method for fluid–structure interaction and multiphysics problems.
He is co-author of an influential plasticity model for the non-linear analysis of concrete structures, considered a foundational contribution in the field.
Other significant research contributions include:
  • coupling the finite element method with the discrete element method for modelling multiple fracture processes in solids and geomaterials;
  • development of fast and accurate explicit integration algorithms for parabolic and dynamic problems;
  • new dynamic relaxation procedures for the efficient solution of stationary mechanical problems;
  • advances in data-driven and physics-informed multiscale techniques for multiphysics systems;
  • and computational strategies for complex engineering applications, including failure of reinforced concrete under extreme hydrodynamic actions, metal forming processes, melting and combustion of materials, and multiphase flow in fractured media.

Applications and Impact of His Research

Prof. Oñate has been widely recognized for his strong commitment to technology transfer and applied research. His doctoral thesis provided the basis for two finite element codes for sheet forming and casting processes that were later commercialized by leading engineering software companies. His research on membrane elements led to the creation of a CIMNE spin-off company dedicated to the design and manufacture of large inflatable hangars and lightweight deployable bridges.
He has also had significant impact through his educational activities, not only as a professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, but also as the author of two reference books on structural analysis using the finite element method, and as a promoter of an international Master's program in Computational Mechanics. He also co-developed educational software and co-founded Structuralia, a pioneering company in online engineering education.
Prof. Oñate was co-founder and held leadership roles in major scientific societies such as the Spanish Society for Numerical Methods in Engineering, the European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences, and the International Association for Computational Mechanics. He has co-organized more than 60 international conferences.
The greatest institutional impact of Prof. Oñate’s career stems from his founding of the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering in 1987, a research institution he directed for 37 years. CIMNE is a world-leading center in the development and application of numerical methods in engineering, employing more than 200 researchers from all continents, hosting the first UNESCO Chair in Numerical Methods in Engineering, and coordinating a network of over 30 CIMNE Joint Labs in Latin America.

Publications

520 papers in JCR journals with 21,240 citations.
h-index of 85. Citations and h-index source: First number: Scopus, In brackets: Google Scholar.
120 papers in the top 25% journals by CiteScore.

Books

  • Oñate, E.; Kröplin, B. Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures. Computational Methods in Applied Sciences. Springer, 2005.
  • Oñate, E.; Owen, R. Computational Methods in Applied Sciences, Volume 7: Computational Plasticity. Springer, 2007.
  • Oñate, E. Structural Analysis with the Finite Element Method. Linear Statics, Volume 1: Basis and Solids. Lecture Notes on Numerical Methods in Engineering and Sciences. Springer, 2009.
  • Oñate, E. Structural Analysis with the Finite Element Method. Linear Statics, Volume 2: Beams, Plates and Shells. Lecture Notes on Numerical Methods in Engineering and Sciences. Springer, 2010.
  • Oñate, E. Structural Analysis by the Finite Element Method. Volume 1: Basis and Solids. Springer, 2009, 500 pp.
  • Oñate, E. Structural Analysis by the Finite Element Method. Volume 2: Beams, Plates and Shells. Springer, 2013, 920 pp.
  • Oñate, E. Cálculo de Estructuras por el Método de los Elementos Finitos. Análisis Estático Lineal. Volumen 1. Sólidos. Edición en español publicada por CIMNE.