IMB-CNM selects four high-impact projects in the first INTEGRA Call

The Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) has selected four research projects in the first edition of its INTEGRA Call, an internal initiative launched within the framework of the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence. The call aims to support ambitious, high-impact research led by IMB-CNM scientists, fostering collaboration across groups and strengthening the scientific excellence through measurable outcomes in scientific, social, and economic outcomes.

The four selected projects, with a duration of two years, exemplify the diversity of the institute’s research lines, from frontier micro and nanoelectronic technologies to applications addressing societal challenges. The spirit of the INTEGRA Call is to promote interdisciplinary approaches and reinforce internal cohesion. Notably, the selection also reflects a positive gender balance: two of the projects are led entirely by female researchers, one by a male researcher, and one by a mixed leadership team. 

IMB-CNM continues to consolidate its position as a leading research institution in micro and nanoelectronics, leveraging the María de Maeztu recognition to promote initiatives that combine excellence, collaboration and impact. The INTEGRA program thus becomes a key instrument to nurture innovative ideas and translate them into tangible advances aligned with the institute’s strategic vision. Each project contemplates hiring a postdoctoral researcher from an institution outside Spain, with the goal of attracting talent and internationalization, a strategic pillar of MdM.

The successful candidates are: Consuelo Guardiola, with COSMIT (Comparative Study of Microdosimetry for Translational research); José Antonio Plaza, with IC2 (Biohybrid cells, a long-sought breakthrough that could redefine the future of nanomedicine); Carme Martínez and Ferran Pujol, with CONBATT (Smart Microbattery-Enabled Self-Reconfigurable Electronic Devices); and Mireia Bargalló and Marta Fernández Regúlez, with PaNeTONE (Architecting the future of edge AI through geometry-defined analogue devices: Pre-designed Analogue Nanocylinder paths in Template-Ordered Nanoxide Electronics).

The projects highlight the breadth of research at IMB-CNM, spanning from a comparative study of microdosimetry for translational research to the development of biohybrid cells that integrate semiconductors inside living systems, as well as self-reconfigurable electronic devices and novel memristive technologies for analogue computing at the edge. Together, they combine advances in medical physics, energy integration, intracellular electronics, and geometry-defined nanoelectronic architectures.