Research Institutes are centres of excellence dedicated to scientific and technical research or artistic creation (art. 10, LOU 6/2001). In the Regulations of the Research Institutes of the University of Malaga, approved by the Governing Council on 26 February 2018 (art. 1), as well as in the Statutes of the University of Malaga (arts. 65 and 66), it is indicated that such centres may provide technical consultancy within the sphere of their competence and offer doctoral and postgraduate programmes and studies as long as their area of activity is different from that of the University’s departments or other centres.

The creation of research institutes in the Andalusian Autonomous Community is approved by the Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía), as stated in LOU 6/2001 (art. 10), in Law 15/2003, of 22 December (arts. 61 and 62), and the Agreement of 20 December 2005 of the Andalusian Council of Universities (BOJA, 13-06-2006). Subsequently, Centres and Research Institutes are recognised as Agents of the Andalusian Knowledge System (arts. 30 and 33) in Andalusian Law 16/2007, of 3 December, of Science and Knowledge.