The ITQ history is an uncommon history that became a successful one.

In 1990 a group of nine CSIC and UPV researchers (Juan Carlos Asensi Sempere (R.I.P), Avelino Corma, Vicente Fornés Seguí (Retired), Hermenegildo García Gómez, Sara Iborra Chornet, Amparo Mifsud Corts (Retired), Miguel Ángel Miranda Alonso, Joaquín Pérez Pariente, Jaime Primo Millo), led by Prof Avelino Corma and Prof Jaime Primo respectively, started the institute with a minimum economic support. Basically, the space was made available by transformation of a parking slot at the UPV campus. In 1994 the team moved to a brand new building where the ITQ is currently located.