ICFO Group Leader F. Pelayo García de Arquer received the Banc Sabadell Foundation Award for Science and Engineering during an awards ceremony held on 7 July at Banc Sabadell’s Corporate Centre in Sant Cugat del Vallès. The award recognises his pioneering contributions to nanoscience and materials research for sustainable energy technologies and next-generation optoelectronic devices.
García de Arquer received the distinction alongside UPF ICREA Research Professor Marc Güell Cargol, recipient of the Banc Sabadell Foundation Prize for Biomedical Research.
Award recipients Marc Güell Cargol and F. Pelayo García de Arquer with representatives of the Banc Sabadell Foundation and members of the juries of the Biomedical Research Prize and the Science and Engineering Prize during the awards ceremony held on 7 July 2026.
Each summer, the Banc Sabadell Foundation Awards for Biomedical Research and Science and Engineering bring together leading figures from academia, research, industry and public institutions to celebrate scientific excellence and the societal impact of frontier research. Established in 2006, the Biomedical Research Prize is one of Spain’s longest-running awards recognising outstanding young biomedical scientists, while the Science and Engineering Prize—created in 2017 in collaboration with the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST)—recognises exceptional young researchers working across mathematics, chemistry, physics and engineering.
At this year’s ceremony, the BIST Community researcher Dr F. Pelayo García de Arquer —group leader at ICFO— received the 2026 Banc Sabadell Foundation Prize for Science and Engineering in recognition of his pioneering contributions to nanoscience for sustainable energy technologies and next-generation optoelectronic devices.
Advancing clean energy technologies
Dr García de Arquer’s research at ICFO lies at the intersection of photonics, materials science, and engineering. His work has contributed to the development of high-efficiency solar cells, technologies for converting CO₂ into valuable industrial products and approaches for producing green hydrogen.
F Pelayo Garcia de Arquer and Josep Oliu
The Awards jury highlighted his “extraordinary impact on the international scientific community and his contributions in the field of technology transfer in areas as critical and socially relevant as decarbonization”, underscoring his “vision, leadership, and ability to create and energize multidisciplinary teams.”
“Our day-to-day work focuses on answering questions to understand why certain chemical processes do or don’t work, and using that information to try to design materials that improve these chemical transformations. The most tangible impact of our research could mean that the price of the weekly grocery basket no longer depends on a war in the Middle East. Our technology would make it possible to generate fuels and materials for global use from renewable, widely available resources such as sunlight and air.” explains García de Arquer.
Scientific excellence with potential social impact
This year’s awards also recognised Dr Marc Güell Cargol, ICREA Research Professor at Pompeu Fabra University, who received the Banc Sabadell Foundation Prize for Biomedical Research for his pioneering contributions to synthetic biology and genetic engineering.
“Both award winners share a distinctive trait: their ability to combine frontier research with real-world applications in industry and society. From the fight against climate change to the revolution in personalized medicine, their work exemplifies the transformative role of science in economic and social progress.” said Josep Oliu, chairman of Banc Sabadell and its Foundation.
Learn more about the Awards
Banc Sabadell Foundation: Announcement of the 2026 award recipients
ICFO’s newpiece on the Garcia de Arquer Award
