European Parliament Delegation visits ICFO

Recently, a delegation of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), presided by Ivars Ijabs, Vice-Chair of STOA, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe, Latvia), Herbert Dorfmann, Member of the European Parliament (EPP, Italy), and Laura Ballarin Cereza, Member of the European Parliament (S&D, Spain), and José Cepeda, Member of the European Parliament (S&D, Spain), visited ICFO to engage with the researchers and operational teams to learn about the science and innovation that is being conducted at the institute.

As a clear gesture of support for science and innovation, the delegation, which was accompanied by Oriol Escardíbul, Secretary General, and Georgina Cardona, Director of International Relations, both from of the Ministry of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya, had the opportunity to witness firsthand the groundbreaking work being carried out in fields that are shaping the future, such as photonics, quantum or green energies, to mention a few.

Oriol Romero-Isart, Director of ICFO, accompanied by Silvia Carrasco, Vice Director of Innovation, Sponsored research and Public Engagement, and Laia Pellejà, Director of CERCA and member of the Board of ICFO, presented an overview of the center and the strategic initiatives that the institute is pursuing, which not only enhances scientific output but also attracts top talent, forges strong partnerships, and positions the institute as a key player in the international research landscape.

These strategic initiatives included PICs@ICFO, in particular PIXEurope, the Photonics Integrated Chips Pilot Line which is coordinated by ICFO and has a budget of ~400M€, as well as the Quantum@ICFO program, which encompasses several important quantum technologies initiatives taking place at the local, national, European and international levels. Particular emphasis was placed on how these investments in quantum and photonics research contribute not only to scientific excellence but also to long-term industrial innovation and competitiveness within the EU.

Following the formal official talks and presentations, the delegation toured the institute, visiting the quantum simulation lab led by ICREA Prof at ICFO Leticia Tarruell, and presented by Remy Vatré, the Photon Harvesting in Plants and Biomolecules lab led and showed by Prof. at ICFO Nicoletta Liguori, the CO2 Mitigation Accelerated by Photons lab led and showed by Prof. at ICFO Pelayo F. García de Arquer, and finally the NanoFabrication Lab and technology transfer at ICFO portfolio, presented by Silvia Carrasco.

In just two hours, the visit offered a thoughtful glimpse and overall view that helped everyone gain a clearer understanding and appreciation of the institute’s goals and objectives regarding research and innovation. The cutting-edge research taking place at ICFO shows the transformative potential that science has in pushing the boundaries of knowledge and opening doors to discoveries that can shape industries, address global challenges, and aim to have a positive impact on society to improve our lives and wellbeing.

There is no doubt that continued investment in frontier research is not only vital for maintaining Europe’s global leadership in science and technology, but also for cultivating a future that is both sustainable and inclusive.

Description of the main picture: Family picture of the EU Delegation visiting ICFO. From left to right. Front row: Silvia Carrasco, Herbert Dorfmann, Ivars Ijabs, Oriol Romero-Isart, Oriol Escardíbul, Laura Ballarin Cereza, José Cepeda. Back row: Carlos Dengra, Pelayo F. García de Arquer, Nicoletta Liguori, Andrés García Higuera, Laia Pellejà.