Newsroom

On 15 and 17 July, the IKUR research community organised two working sessions at nanoGUNE, aimed at sharing knowledge and advances and strengthening the collaboration between the IKUR Quantum Technologies and IKUR HPC−AI projects. The sessions had the participation of representatives from the Basque Government’s Department of Science, Universities and Innovation: Adolfo Morais, Deputy Minister for Science and Innovation, Amaia Esquisabel, Head of Science Policy and Maialen Agirre, Head of Innovation.

CIC nanoGUNE received its third María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence accreditation at an official ceremony in the Cubo Azul Auditorium of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, organised by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities to recognise the research centres and units selected in the 2025 call. Representing nanoGUNE were its director José María Pitarke, and lead researcher Luis Hueso, who received the accreditation statuette that reaffirms the centre’s position as an international leader in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

In a recent article published in Physical Review Letters (Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 026703 (2026)), a collaboration of scientists from Turkey, the UK and the Nanomagnetism group at nanoGUNE have discovered a non-equilibrium skyrmion phase that has no equilibrium equivalent but is instead fundamentally associated with the oscillating magnetic fields that are driving the non-equilibrium dynamics in two-dimensional lattice systems. 

Researchers from the Quantum Hardware group at CIC nanoGUNE, in collaboration with the British company Quantum Motion, have demonstrated an advanced readout sensor for spin qubits that, while being more compact that previous designs, can reach the level of readout precision needed to implement quantum error correction protocols. The study has been published in the journal Nature Sensors. 

The TextaDNA project, funded by the EIC Pathfinder program and coordinated by CIC nanoGUNE, is moving steadily forward in its mission to develop a new generation of DNA‑based data storage integrated into polymer fibers. In collaboration with Eurofins Genomics, a multinational specialized in DNA synthesis and sequencing located in Germany, the consortium is building a complete workflow that enables digital information to be encoded into DNA sequences, embedded into polymer‑based nanomaterials, and later retrieved and decoded with high fidelity.

This new CIC nanoGUNE project involves adapting the SIESTA program, one of the most widespread codes for exploring how materials behave at the nanoscale, to hybrid workflows incorporating classical and quantum computing. This hybridization of SIESTA with the quantum computer will enable the scientific community to use IBM-Basque Country in a more accessible and broader way.
 

More than 100 international stakeholders explore the path from quantum research to industrial application within the Basque ecosystem. The Quantum Readiness for Business event showcases the Basque strategy, cutting-edge infrastructure, and collaboration opportunities in quantum technologies. 

CIC nanoGUNE has been awarded the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence distinction for the third consecutive time, reaffirming its position as an internationally leading research center in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

CIC nanoGUNE once again joins the Pint of Science Donostia festival, one of the world’s leading international science outreach initiatives. In its 2026 edition, the festival will fill the city’s bars with science on 18, 19 and 20 May. In addition to participating as a local sponsor, nanoGUNE will feature in the program with three talks delivered by researchers from the centre, bringing some of the most relevant advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology closer to the general public.

Ainara García-Gallastegui, Head of Technology Transfer at CIC nanoGUNE, has obtained the international RTTP (Registered Technology Transfer Professional) standard, which accredits the expertise and experience of professionals working in the field of knowledge and technology transfer, whether in academia or industry.