20^nd March 2026

About

CARLA, originated as a 3-year H2020 EU-funded project and has developed a model for pan-European Photonics Career Camps of Excellence, aimed at encouraging university students and early-stage researchers to pursue careers in photonics, putting special emphasis on empowering gender diversity. Furthermore, the CARLA consortium has now evolved to the 360 CARLA project, continuing its mission and objectives. 360 CARLA is an EU project, launched in January 2024 and aims to bring the CARLA approach to the next level with focused and tailored career development programs within the following four verticals: Health: Biotech and Medical Photonics; Quantum Technologies and Communications; Energy, Environment and Sustainability; Manufacturing/Industry 4.0.

If you would like to know more visit the CARLA website and follow the CARLA social media accounts in LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and BlueSky.

ICFO is a CERCA research centre member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, founded in 2002 by the Government of Catalonia and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · Barcelona Tech, both of which are members of ICFO’s board of trustees along with philanthropic entities that have played a critical role in the advancement of the institute. Located in the Mediterranean Technology Park in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the institute currently hosts 500 people, organized in 25 research teams that use 80 state-of-the-art research laboratories. Research lines encompass diverse areas in which photonics plays a decisive role, with an emphasis on basic and applied themes relevant to medicine and biology, advanced imaging techniques, information technologies, a range of environmental sensors, tunable and ultra-fast lasers, quantum science and technologies, photovoltaics and the properties and applications of nano and quantum materials such as graphene, among others. In addition to four consecutive accreditations of the Severo Ochoa national program for top research excellence, ICFOnians have been awarded 16 elite ICREA Professorships as well as 53 European Research Council grants. ICFO is highly proactive in fostering entrepreneurial activities, spin-off creation, and creating collaborations and links between industry and ICFO researchers. To date, ICFO has helped create 14 start-up companies.