- Bachelor’s Degree Extraordinary Award in June 1972.
- National Award for Excellence in Academic Performance in Physical Sciences, awarded on 24 November 1973.
- Extraordinary Doctorate Award (Autonomous University of Barcelona). Awarded in May 1978.
- Overseas Fellow. Churchill College, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Named in 1985.
- Full member of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences.
- Full member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona.
- Full Member of the Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country.
- Gold Medal from the Basque Government, 1990.
- Fellow of the American Physical Society (FAPS) named in 1990.
- Member of the BBV Foundation’s Scientific Council, 1990-2009.
- Science and Technology Advisor. Vice-President of Iberdrola, 1993-2003.
- Who’s Who in the World. 1993; International Biographical Dictionary – 23rd edition.
- Recipient of the Iberdrola Visiting Lecturers Programme, 1993-2003.
- Who’s Who in Science and Engineering 1994.
- Five Thousand Personalities of the World 1994.
- UPV/EHU Governing Board of Summer Courses 1994-present.
- “Xabier María de Munibe” Award 1995.
- Member of the Trilateral Commission 1996-2015.
- Member of the Eusko Ikaskuntza-Basque Studies Society’s Excellence Committee 1996-present.
- Elected Scientific Member of the Bosmiche Physical Society, Cornell University, 1996.
- Euskadi Research Award 1996.
- Dupont Science Award 1996.
- “Zientzia 21” Board of Directors for the creation of an Interactive Science Museum in Donostia-San Sebastian.
- Prince of Viana Culture Award 1997.
- Grupo Correo Award 1997.
- “Basques Without Borders” COINPASA 1997.
- Member of the Scientific Committee of Barcelona Science Park.
- Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research 1998.
- Gold Medal from the UPV/EHU, 1998.
- Favourite Son of the Town of Isaba. 1998.
- Max Planck Physics Prize, 1998.
- Member of the United States-Spain Council 1999-2004.
- Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise 1998.
- Omendua, 1999.
- Universal Basque of the Year 1998.
- ScD. University of Cambridge, 1998.
- Honorary Member and Member of Merit of the Cofradía de la Anchoa, Donostia-San Sebastian, May 1999.
- Honorary Member of the Gaztambera, Elizondo, June 1999.
- Spanish Materials Society Award, 1999.
- Tree of Science Award. CSIC. 1999.
- Gold Medal of the City of Donostia-San Sebastian 2000.
- Honorary Physicist of COFIS (Spanish Professional Association of Physicists), 2000.
- Honorary Doctorate. Valladolid University. Spain 2000.
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), FAAAS, February 2001.
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the “European Peoples’ Institute, Basque Foundation”.
- Member of the Governing Board of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), April 2001-2007.
- Member of the Promotional Committee for the Donostia-San Sebastian Strategic Plan 2001.
- Beneficiary of the Basque Government’s High Performance Project. December 2001.
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the Rafael Escolá Foundation.
- Iberdrola Science and Technology Award 2002.
- Intellectual Elegance Award 2002. Spanish Tailors Association.
- Homage in Nafarroa Oinez 2002.
- “Eusko Label Kalitatea” Award 2002.
- Gold Medal of the Spanish Royal Physics Society 2003.
- “Manuel Irujo” Irujo Etxea Foundation. Estella 2003.
- Member of the Grand Council and Knight of Honour of the Orden de la Oliva de Navarra and the Tostada de Arroniz 2004.
- Honorary Member of the Roncal Cheese Guild, Roncal 2004.
- Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico. 3-9 April 2005.
- Blas Cabrera National Award for Physics, Materials Science and Earth Sciences 2005.
- com Award for Research and Science 2005.
- BD/BN Honorary Member 2005.
- Gold Medal of Gipuzkoa 2006.
- Nanogune Scientific Committee 2006-present.
- Honorary Doctorate. Public University of Navarra (UPNA) 2008.
- Foreign Member of the Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de 2009.
- Member of the International Advisory Board of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Oviedo 2010-present.
- Manel Xifra Boada Award for Scientific and Technical Communication 2010.
- Sabino Arana Award 2011.
- Board Member of Graphenea SA 2011-present.
- Board Member of IkerChem 2011-2014.
- President of the Jury of the Prince of Asturias Awards for Technical and Scientific Research 2012-present.
- Liberpress Camins Award 2012.
- Honorary Founding Ambassador of Donostia 2012.
- HETEL Saria Award for Commitment to Vocational Training 2012.
- Honorary Doctorate from the Complutense University of Madrid 2013.
- Full member of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences 2014-present.
- Jury for the 6th Novia Salcedo Award for Excellence in the Professional Integration of Young People 2014.
- President of the Jury for the 9th L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Research Fellowships Programme For Women in Science
- Teledonosti Award, 20th anniversary, for Science and Innovation 2014.
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the EDP Foundation.
- EPS (European Physical Society) Award to DIPC in recognition of its scientific contribution and dissemination activities.
- Gold Medal of Navarra 2016.
- Honorary Doctorate from Aalto University, Helsinki 2016.
- Honorary Doctorate from the Autonomous University of Santo 2017.
- Honorary Member of the EPS (European Physical Society) (2018) for “his outstanding achievements as a scientist in the field of Surface Physics, Attophysics, Interaction of charges and radiation with matter and Many-body Physics and for his contributions as an exceptional and tireless advocate of outreach, dissemination and public awareness of physics, notably the creation and development of Passion for Knowledge, which is a large-scale public outreach event in Donostia, Basque Country, promoting science as the driving force behind technological progress and the foundation of human culture”.
- First honorary member of the Basque Federation of Junior Enterprises 2019.
- Member of the Lombard Institute, Academy of Science and Letters of Milan 2020.
- 5th DonosiaINN Business Innovation Award 2020 to the DIPC.
- NIE Award (Nafarroako Ikastolen Elkartea) (2023)
- “Gallico de Oro” 2024 (awarded by the Napardi Gastronomic Society of Pamplona)
- Trust Award at the first edition of the “Hitz Sariak-Premios Palabra” awards 2024
