At the nanometric scale, small structures are capable of profoundly transforming the way light behaves. It is in this field – where billions of nanopillars shape laser beams with extreme precision – that Marco Piccardo, professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, and a researcher at Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores – Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC-MN), is conducting his research. The work has now been recognised with an ERC Proof of Concept grant, awarded by the European Research Council (ERC), to the Highlight project.

“Imagine billions of these structures. We can control lasers in an unprecedented way”, says the researcher, referring to metasurfaces, nanomaterials capable of profoundly modifying the properties of light.

The Highlight project is a continuation of the ERC Starting Grant metaPOWER funded in 2024 and marks a new stage in research, which is now focused on technology transfer. With a duration of up to 18 months and funding of €150,000, the ERC Proof of Concept focuses on bringing fundamental research and practical application closer together. “It is funding specifically dedicated to technology transfer. We can see it as a boost to innovation”, Marco Piccardo emphasises.

As part of the metaPOWER project, research focuses on developing metasurfaces that can control high-intensity lasers. This allows for the concentration of energy in extremely small areas and facilitates the study of structured interactions between laser and matter. The Highlight project aims to explore this same control in a new context. “The question was whether this knowledge could lead to something that could reach the market in the shorter term”, he explains.

This paved the way for applications in the aerospace field, where the ability to act at a distance is crucial. “The control we can exert over lasers can be used not only to concentrate a lot of energy in a very small spot, but also to send it over long distances”, the professor points out.

Among the scenarios under study is the possibility of recharging drones remotely, without the need to return to base, as well as the development of optical communications between satellites, with bandwidths superior to radio frequency communications. “This requires precise control of light to ensure efficiency and safety”, he adds. The project has already garnered interest from two large companies, which have signed letters of intent to follow its development.

Marco Piccardo also highlights Técnico’s institutional framework in this journey. “The innovation ecosystem at Técnico is evolving”, he says, pointing to initiatives such as the Técnico Venture Lab, launched in 2025, which brings together founders, ideas and projects, offering expert advice and fostering connections with companies, and encourages the development of spin-offs. “This type of environment is essential for retaining talent and creating conditions for impactful projects”.

In 2025, the European Research Council evaluated more than 800 applications for ERC Proof of Concept grants, awarding 300 grants to researchers from 23 European Union Member States and associated countries. Unlike ERC Starting, Consolidator or Advanced grants, this type of grant is exclusively aimed at researchers who already hold ERC funding. Each main project is eligible for up to three Proof of Concept grants over its lifetime.

Among the grants awarded to researchers working at Portuguese research institutions are those awarded to Joana Gonçalves-Sá, a Técnico alumna and researcher at the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics (LIP); Michael Orger, from the Champalimaud Foundation; Catarina Homem and Cláudia Santos, from NOVA University of Lisbon; and Paulo Rocha, researcher at the University of Coimbra.

Marco Piccardo joined Instituto Superior Técnico in 2023, during which he led the discovery of a new family of light beams, with results published in Nature Photonics. In 2024, he was part of an international team that published a paper in the field of photonics in Nature. In addition to his work at Técnico, he is also a visiting professor at Harvard University.