The CSIC is a State Agency considered a Public Research Organization (OPI) of the General Administration of the State with a single legal personality that carries out its function through a multiplicity of organizational structures lacking its own legal personality. Its scientific activity is carried out through two fundamental structures: research institutes and national centers.

The execution of the CSIC’s research activities in Galicia is carried out through research institutes, own or mixed, assigned to three scientific-technical areas from the administrative point of view (Society, Life and Matter) and organized internally in departments and Investigation groups. The CSIC has more than 120 research institutes. In Galicia they are the Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG, with headquarters in Pontevedra and Santiago de Compostela), the Instituto de Estudios Gallegos Padre Sarmiento, mixed with the Xunta de Galicia (IEGPS, Santiago de Compostela), the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM , Vigo) and the Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio (Incipit, Santiago de Compostela). Furthermore, since the integration of the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) into the CSIC and the subsequent creation of the IEO National Center in Galicia, there is also the Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo and the Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña. 

In Vigo is the Atlantic headquarters of the Unidad de Tecnología Marina (UTM, with headquarters in Barcelona), responsible for the management, maintenance and improvement of facilities and equipment related to research activity on oceanographic vessels and polar bases, supporting research campaigns. From this headquarters, service is provided to the Oceanographic Vessel (B/O) Sarmiento de Gamboa, whose base of operations is in the Port of Vigo.

One of the functions of the CSIC is collaboration with other institutions in the promotion and transfer of science and technology, as well as collaboration with universities in scientific research and technological development activities. In this context, the figure of “CSIC Associated Unit” is framed, of which there are seven in Galicia.

The presence of the CSIC in Galicia is also reflected through its participation in the Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia (CESGA, Santiago de Compostela), whose activities include contributing to the development and strengthening of the competitive capacity of the Galician research communities and the CSIC.