The UPM Laser Centre took part in the First LaserLab Spain Workshop, held on 12 and 13 February 2026. The event brought together the Spanish scientific community working in advanced photonics and the main representatives of major European laser‑based research infrastructures.
LaserLab Spain, of which the UPM Laser Centre is a member, brings together the most relevant Spanish laboratories engaged in laser‑related R&D activities. Its main objective is to connect the national scientific community and act as a bridge to large European user facilities in the field of photonics, fostering new opportunities for international collaboration.
During the event, experts from EuXFEL, ELI, EuPRAXIA and FERMI presented their facilities and the opportunities they offer to Spanish research groups. These infrastructures, which include Free Electron Lasers and extreme‑laser systems, represent the core of high‑performance photonics in Europe.
On the Spanish side, the laboratories that make up LaserLab Spain presented their main research lines, specialized techniques and areas of expertise. This joint effort forms part of a strategic roadmap whose first step is to identify the most distinctive capabilities currently available in Spain, with the aim of updating and harmonizing them with those of other European laboratories.
One of the key objectives of LaserLab Spain is to progress towards meeting the access requirements of the European Laserlab AISBL network, enabling the full integration of the Spanish laser community into this European reference structure.
The workshop thus became an ideal forum to strengthen transnational cooperation, facilitate new scientific connections, and promote future collaborations between Spanish research groups and major European facilities.
More information: https://www.clpu.es/laserlab_spain_workshop/