The SAMCA Chair of Nanotechnology and INMA (CSIC–University of Zaragoza) will bring together leading researchers, companies and science communicators tomorrow at CaixaForum for a gala featuring a keynote by Elena Pinilla, who is part of the global Top 50 of the Santander SW50 Emerging Leaders 2026
Awards will be presented for the best theses and projects in nanotechnology during an event hosted by Teatro Indigesto, which will also include performances by science comedians
Zaragoza, 3 June 2026. The SAMCA Chair of Nanotechnology at the University of Zaragoza will hold the 7th Nanotechnology Gala tomorrow, 4 June, its main annual event for scientific outreach and recognition of research talent. This consolidated gathering has become a benchmark in Aragón and will once again bring together leading figures from the scientific, academic, business and institutional spheres. The event will begin at 18:00.
Organised by the SAMCA Chair of Nanotechnology in collaboration with the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA, CSIC–University of Zaragoza), the Gala has become one of Spain’s main showcases for nanoscience and nanotechnology. It will also feature humorous science talks, such as that of Paula Guiu (IA2, UNIZAR–CITA), who will explore the ‘science’ of gastronomy with “There’s No Joy in This Kitchen”, and that of Raúl Magallón, a semi-finalist in the “Solo de Ciencia” competition, with “MIAU Conversation”. The gala will be hosted and enlivened by Teatro Indigesto.
One of the highlights of the evening will be the presentation of the awards promoted by the SAMCA Chair, recognising some of the most outstanding initiatives and careers linked to research and innovation in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Among them is the Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, won by José Ignacio García Peiro for his thesis Platinum-driven catalysis for cancer therapy, which explores new therapeutic approaches to cancer using nanotechnology. García Peiro completed his PhD at INMA.
In the Materializa REAL competition, Víctor Sebastián Cabeza stood out with his project “Modular and Reusable Microfluidic Micromixer for Continuous-Flow Chemical and Biomedical Processes”, an innovative proposal with applications in strategic fields such as flow chemistry and biomedicine. Sebastián is a UNIZAR scientist at INMA and works at the Advanced Microscopy Laboratory (LMA) of the University of Zaragoza.
The winner of the IMAGINA Award, aimed at fostering creativity and scientific outreach in nanoscience and nanotechnology, will also be announced during the event. This year’s edition received eleven submissions.
Elena Pinilla, nanophotonics expert and leading science communicator
The gala will feature Elena Pinilla, one of Spain’s most prominent science communicators and a leading researcher whose career has recently been recognised with several prestigious awards. Pinilla is a physicist with a PhD in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, specialising in nanophotonics and new nanomaterials. She currently conducts her research at the Nanophotonics Technology Centre of the Universitat Politècnica de València, where she leads projects focused on integrating nanomaterials into advanced photonic devices for applications in telecommunications, sensing and health.
She is Vice-President of the Royal Spanish Physics Society, one of the country’s leading scientific institutions, and plays an active role in promoting scientific vocations and increasing the visibility of women in science.
Her outreach activity is extensive. She has taken part in initiatives such as TEDx, Pint of Science, the Ogmios festival and numerous science communication events, becoming one of the most recognisable voices in the dissemination of physics and nanotechnology.
She was also selected among the 50 emerging women leaders in Spain and later entered the global Top 50 of the Santander SW50 Emerging Leaders 2026 programme, a recognition awarded to profiles with strong international leadership potential.
Future nanoscientists will also be present
The gala will also honour new talent. FEnanoMENOS is an INMA competition for secondary school pupils, who design projects based on the study of phenomena linked to nanoscience from start to finish. Two categories were established depending on the educational level of participants: compulsory secondary education and special education. The winners of this year’s competition will receive their awards during the gala.
Venue: CaixaForum Zaragoza
Date: Wed 4th June 2026
Time: from 18.00 to 20.00
03-06-2026
