Prof. Antonio Plaza is a Full Professor in the Department of Technology of Computers and Communications at the University of Extremadura, Spain, where he leads the Hyperspectral Computing Laboratory (HyperComp), an internationally recognized research group focused on the intersection of hyperspectral imaging, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing for Earth observation.
He is a pioneer and internationally recognized leader in hyperspectral imaging, with research contributions spanning more than 25 years (1999–2026). His work has advanced the development and application of hyperspectral technologies to major scientific and societal challenges, including land-cover classification, precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and water-quality assessment.
He has authored or co-authored more than 1,000 scientific publications, including 575 JCR-indexed journal papers, 28 international book chapters, and 334 peer-reviewed international conference papers. He has also served as Guest Editor for 29 special issues of JCR-indexed journals in remote sensing and data processing.
His research has contributed significantly to establishing the University of Extremadura as a leading institution in remote sensing worldwide. According to the 2026 Shanghai's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), the University of Extremadura is #1 in Europe for Remote Sensing (#11 worldwide), with the highest Research Impact score among the world's top 11 institutions.
Prof. Plaza is also one of the world's most highly cited scientists in his field. According to ScholarGPS, he is currently ranked among the world's leading scientists in hyperspectral imaging (#2), Earth observation (#2), and remote sensing (#4). He is currently the most highly cited Spanish scientist in remote sensing, electrical and electronic engineering, and imaging science and photographic technology, and he also ranks #4 in computer science according to Research.com.
He has also been recognized repeatedly among the world's most influential researchers. Prof. Plaza was included in the Clarivate Analytics/Web of Science Highly Cited Researchers list from 2018 through 2025 and has consistently been recognized among the World's Top 2% Scientists, based on the Stanford University rankings.
A major component of Prof. Plaza's international impact has been his leadership in large-scale research and training initiatives. He coordinated the Hyperspectral Imaging Network (Hyper-I-Net), a four-year Marie Curie Research Training Network with a budget of €2.8 million, created to establish an interdisciplinary European research community in hyperspectral imaging. The network brought together 15 European partners, including nine universities, three research institutes, and three SMEs. It supported 15 PhD dissertations and played an important role in consolidating Europe's position as a global leader in hyperspectral imaging research.
Through the European projects TOLOMEO and EOXPOSURE, Prof. Plaza also contributed to strengthening hyperspectral imaging research and training in Latin America, establishing a broad network of scientific collaborations across several countries and enhancing European research presence in this strategically important region. He has likewise developed extensive scientific collaborations in China, where he has been recognized as a Visiting Professor by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a Changjiang Scholar by Hunan University, and a Chair Professor by Nanjing University.
Prof. Plaza has held numerous leadership positions within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He served as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (2013–2017) and Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal on Miniaturization for Air and Space Systems (2020–2021). Within the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS), he has served as Chair of the Publication Awards Committee (2018–present), Vice-Chair of the Fellow Evaluation Committee (2019–2022), and Chair of the Fellow Evaluation Committee (2023–2025).
His commitment to education and capacity building has also had a lasting international impact. As International Education Director of IEEE GRSS (2011–2012), Prof. Plaza initiated and founded the highly successful IEEE GRSS Summer School series. He also organized four summer schools as part of the Marie Curie Hyper-I-Net project, together with numerous additional educational and training activities in hyperspectral imaging across Europe. These initiatives have contributed to training and inspiring a new generation of researchers in remote sensing and computational imaging.
Prof. Plaza's scientific and professional contributions have received numerous international distinctions. He was elevated to IEEE Fellow in 2015 for “contributions to hyperspectral data processing and parallel computing of Earth observation data.” He was subsequently elected Fellow of the International Academy of Artificial Intelligence Science and, in 2020, a Member of Academia Europaea (The Academy of Europe).
Through his research, scientific leadership, international collaborations, editorial service, and educational initiatives, Prof. Plaza has played a significant role in the development of hyperspectral imaging as a global research discipline, while contributing to the international visibility and scientific standing of the University of Extremadura.
Additional information: https://sites.google.com/view/antonioplaza
