ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences was created in 2002 by the regional government of Catalonia and the Technical University of Catalonia. The Institute was launched with the mission to become a world-leading research centre in photonics. ICFO currently hosts more than 250 researchers organised in 23 research groups working in 60 state-of-the-art research laboratories, equipped with the latest experimental facilities and supported by a range of cutting-edge facilities for nanofabrication, characterisation, imaging and Engineering.
The Institute is located in a specially designed 14,000 m2 building situated in the Mediterranean Technology Park in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. ICFO currently hosts 12 ICREA Research Professors, 14 European Research Council projects and 6 Fundacio Cellex Barcelona Nest Fellows. The Institute consistently appears in top worldwide positions in international rankings measuring research excellence. On the industrial side, ICFO participates actively in the European Technological Platform Photonics21 and is also very proactive infostering entrepreneurial activities and spin-off creation. The centre participates inincubator activitiesand seeks to attractventure capital investment. ICFO hosts an active Corporate Liaison Programme that aims at creating collaboration and links between industry and ICFO researchers. To date, ICFO has helped create 5 start-up companies.
Link to ICFO website