Team

Raquel Pruñonosa studied Technical Engineering in Surveying, Cartography, and Geodesy at the UPV, where she worked for almost 15 years specializing in digital cartography, GIS, map viewers and training. Years later, She get a Degree in Geomatics and Surveying and then prepared for competitive examinations, after which she worked for various public administrations, as a teacher, surveyor, or employment technician.
At present, as the Admin Manager at UPVfab, she is responsible for a wide range of operational tasks, including procurement, invoicing, financial and personnel management, and events organization. Her priority is to streamline administrative processes to allow our team to focus entirely on research and investigation.

My advanced vocational qualification is in maintenance technology.

I have worked in the printing industry, operating production equipment for lamination, extrusion, metallization, and gravure printing. I also run a small business producing and selling organic agricultural products.

Prof. Muñoz has conducted research on photonic integration since 2005 at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), adopting an application oriented and technology-agnostic approach, working on SOI, InP, SiN and hybrid platforms. He co-founded VLC Photonics, a UPV spin-off in 2011, transferring PIC design expertise and tools to industry, served as CEO until 2013 and as board member up to 2023. VLC Photonics was acquired by Hitachi High Tech in 2020. In 2017, he led the creation of UPVfab, the semiconductor microfabrication R&D and pilot line cleanroom facility at UPV. He co-founded HYBPIC in 2025 to commercialize the hybrid integration technologies developed at UPVfab. Since 2017, Prof. Muñoz leads ecosystem activities, he cooperatively developed the national Spanish PIC ecosystem white book (2020-2021) and the derived initiative PIXSpain from 2022, that resulted into the Chips JU Pilot Line PIXEurope (2025-2035) with prominent leading Spanish role, and the PIXSpain Competence Center (2025-2029).

Gloria Micó has more than a decade of experience in the field of integrated photonics, where she has worked on the design and characterization of photonic integrated circuits for telecom, LIDAR, quantum and sensing applications. Throughout her career, Gloria has played a key organisational role at UPVfab, the UPV’s pilot fabrication facility. There, she has led multidisciplinary teams in maintenance, process engineering and business development. Her responsibilities have included the coordination of technology-transfer projects, the planning and deployment of new equipment, the supervision of training programmes, and representing the facility at industry events. She is also actively involved in the design and implementation of the new PIXEurope pilot line in L’Eliana, contributing to its operational strategy and long-term development. In January 2025, Gloria co-founded HYBPIC, where she now serves as CEO. At HYBPIC, she leads the strategic direction of the company as it brings cutting-edge hybrid photonic chip technology to market.

I am a highly skilled Industrial Maintenance Technician with over 15 years of experience in the food industry, specializing in electromechanical systems, production, and infrastructure. My expertise lies in ensuring efficient and reliable operations through meticulous maintenance and problem-solving. With a strong background in both technical and practical aspects. I am dedicated to optimizing industrial processes and maintaining high standards of safety and productivity.

With a BSc in Physics and a PhD in Photonics, I have over a decade of experience in industrial and research roles within photonic technologies. Including eight years as Director of Technology and Business Developer in the integrated photonics ecosystem, focusing on product development, technology strategy, and business models connecting foundries, design houses, and product companies while securing funding. I led IP management efforts securing multiple international patents and establishing trade secret protocols, and lead a +10-member PIC design team ensuring reliable delivering of IP blocks and software tools. Currently, as Open Access Manager at UPVfab, my work involves developing and ensuring accessibility of PDKs.

Giuseppe Libero Bufi (Molfetta, Italy, 1991) is an electronic engineer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Bari (2015). In 2017, he completed a Master’s Degree in Electronic Engineering – Micro & Nano Systems at the Polytechnic University of Turin. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Telecommunications within the iTeam research group at the Universitat Politècnica de València, as part of the UPVfab microfabrication pilot plant. His research focuses on the development of a silicon nitride photonic platform, with particular emphasis on fabrication processes and advanced techniques for integrated photonic circuits (PICs).

M.Sc. in Electronics Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL). PhD (c) in Telecommunications jointly at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and UNAL. He conducts his research at UPVfab facilities—UPV’s R&D pilot fabrication line—focusing on the design of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and their advanced characterization using optical frequency-domain interferometry (OFDI).

Valentina Díaz holds an M.Sc. in Technology, Systems, and Communication Networks from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), where she also completed the PIC–UPV Chair Master’s in Integrated Photonics. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Telecommunications at UPV. Her research is carried out at UPVfab facilties —UPV’s R&D pilot fabrication line— where she works on various fabrication processes of photonic integrated circuits (PIC) , with a particular focus on CMP planarization technology.

I’m doing a docterate on the design and development of an integrated spectral processor used for optical microcombs.

Electronic engineer with a M.Sc. in Communication Technologies, Systems and Networks and an additional postgraduate degree in Integrated Photonics, currently pursuing a PhD.
Specialized in the design, simulation, and characterization of integrated photonic devices, with a focus on active photonic components

Design and automate test processes to ensure the performance and quality of our PICs.

Work with lab instrumentation and automation tools using Python and C++.

Familiarity with PIC design tools such as Ansys Interconnect and Lumerical

Telecommunications engineer currently working as a Process & Test Engineer at UPVfab. Responsibilities include supporting semiconductor device fabrication in a cleanroom environment, working with processes such as deposition, lithography, and wafer polishing. Additional tasks involve device characterization and performance measurements to ensure proper functionality. The role contributes to maintaining reliable workflows and supporting the development of micro-scale devices.

Currently working on the hybridization area, on the development of microfabrication processes for the integration of active devices (InP) on to passive circuits (SiNx) implementing thermal dissipation strategies. The involved processes include: photolithography, wet and dry (RIE) etching, metal deposition and patterning, sacrificial layer under-etching, adhesive’s spin coating, Micro Transfer printing and post-print processing for contacts.

Hands-on experience scaling silicon-based devices in pilot-line environments. Bridges R&D and manufacturing, focusing on understanding core technologies and developing transferable processes. Integrates new tools and processes into pilot production, establishing workflows for reproducible, scalable device performance. Brings research-driven expertise in process optimization and a track record in applied innovation and technology transfer, alongside experience in technical education and mentoring. Multilingual communicator and collaborative team player.

Senior R&D Program Manager | Telecom | Information Technologies | Collaborative Research | Innovation
Strategic coordination of the UPVfab Micro-Fabrication Pilot Line projects, fostering multidisciplinary R&D collaborations, promoting technology transfer and innovation, and strengthening UPVfab’s position within the European semiconductor and integrated photonics landscape.

Ainhoa Berástegui holds a degree in Business Administration and Management (2002). With extensive experience managing financial departments across diverse industries, including technology, construction, automotive, fisheries, education and legal consulting. She transitioned to the public sector in 2018, specializing in public procurement.

Known for her proactive approach, strong organizational skills and adaptability in dynamic work environments, she excels in cross-functional collaboration and clear communication.

Dr. Isabelle Rodriguez obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Montpellier (France) and is currently a member of the CSIC scientific staff within the “nanomaterials for photonics, optoelectronics and energy” group at the Instituto de Tecnología Química. Her research focuses on the preparation and characterization of optically active materials. She also collaborates with the UPVfab team on projects involving chemical processes in cleanroom facilities.
Previously, she held a postdoctoral fellowship on heterogeneous catalysis under the supervision of Prof. A. Corma at the ITQ, and later joined Prof. F. Meseguer Metamaterials Group (CSIC). She was awarded a Ramón y Cajal fellowship to develop 3D photonic colloidal crystals.

Technical support for users, data structures, and technical aspects

Ángel Serrano holds a degree in Physics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and a Master’s in Photonics Engineering from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where he completed his studies with a thesis on optical frequency combs.

He began his professional career as a research technician in UC3M Infrared Lab, working on a dust sensor for space applications. Shortly after, he joined the automotive industry as an Optical Engineer, designing optical components for signaling systems.

In 2025, he broadened his expertise in Integrated Photonics through the PIC-UPV Chair program at Universitat Politècnica de València. He currently works at UPVFab, contributing to the design and development of photonic integrated circuits.

Raquel Pruñonosa Casado

César Almiñana Sáez

Pascual Muñoz Muñoz

Gloria Micó Cabanes

Juan Jose Calatayud Aznar

Antonio Dias Ponte

Giuseppe Libero Bufi

Camilo Cano Vásquez

Valentina Diaz Palacios

Roel van der Zon

Luis Alejandro Pascuaza Calvache

Nicolas Casteleyn

Adrián Fernández Hernández

Rubén Alemany Server

Miguel Cascant López

Elena Boronat Peidro

Ainhoa Berástegui Peris

Isabelle Rodriguez

Daniel Pastor Abellán

Rubén Tortosa Comes

Ángel Serrano Gordo