Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso Visits ICFO
José Manuel Barroso, former president of the European Commission and one of the founders of the ERC research program, visits ICFO and meets with ICFOnians to learn about their scientific research and the cutting-edge science supported by the ERC grant program
On March 25th, 2025, ICFO had the honor of welcoming former President of the European Commission and founder of the ERC program, José Manuel Barroso, to visit to the institute and learn about the type of research that is being conducted at ICFO. His visit underscored the significant role that the institute plays in advancing scientific research at the highest level in the field of photonic sciences.
During his tour, Mr. Barroso had the opportunity to engage with leading researchers and witness firsthand the groundbreaking scientific developments taking place at ICFO, advances that have been made possible, in part, by the support of the European Research Council (ERC), which has played a crucial role in fostering innovation and enabling world-class research at the institute.
In fact, since its first ERC grant achieved in 2007, ICFO has proactively sought out ERC funding for research and to advance the TRL of new technologies developed in our labs through the different modalities that support the needs of researchers at different moments in their career trajectories. The institute’s researchers have been remarkably successful in their applications, reaching the 50th milestone in 2024 – an outstanding figure for an institution of ICFO’s size.
ICFO’s ability to attract and retain outstanding talented scientists from around the world is an indication of how solid and significant the ERC program is and how positively it has impacted on the European research landscape, significantly seeking to position the region at the forefront of scientific and technological progress.