ICFO is a young research insti­tu­tion that aims to advance the very lim­its of knowl­edge in Pho­ton­ics, name­ly the sci­ence and tech­nol­o­gy of har­ness­ing Light.

Light, espe­cial­ly laser light, is one of the major enabling tech­nolo­gies cur­rent­ly avail­able to humankind. Our research thrusts tar­get the glob­al fore­front of pho­ton­ics, and aim to tack­le impor­tant chal­lenges faced by soci­ety at large. We focus on cur­rent and future prob­lems in Health, Ener­gy, Infor­ma­tion, Safe­ty, Secu­ri­ty and car­ing for the Envi­ron­ment.

Our most valued assets are our PhD students and post-doctoral researchers. They are bright, ambitious young women and men, with a talent for discovery and strong moral values, who aim to achieve difficult but important goals. Central to our mission is the training of the next generation of scientists and technicians through courses, seminars, access to cutting-edge experimental infrastructures, and mentoring by researchers that are among the best in the world in their field. This training aims to equip talented students with unique capabilities that help them become future leaders, either in the academic or in the industrial world.

ICFO’s core spir­it is inge­nu­ity, fas­ci­na­tion for the unknowns, and hard work, atti­tudes shared by many researchers around the world with whom ICFO researchers con­tin­u­ous­ly inter­act and cor­re­spond. »>