The Photonics100 list for 2026 has been published by the British magazine Electro Optics, which recognizes the 100 most innovative people shaping the future of photonics worldwide. In this new edition, Professor Salvador Sales at ETSI Telecom and researcher at the Photonics Research Labs (PRL) within the Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM) at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), has been selected to join this prestigious international list.
The Photonics100 highlights scientists, engineers, and business leaders whose work is transforming industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, quantum technologies, and healthcare. This list, compiled annually by Electro Optics magazine, recognizes the 100 most influential figures in photonics worldwide, representing a prestigious mark of international recognition.
Prof. Sales is a world-leading expert in speciality fibre-sensing solutions. Salvador Sales Maicas created and leads a team of more than 30 professionals dedicated to the development of novel and extreme-environment fibre optic sensors. This team spans both the Fibre Optic Devices Group, which he leads within the Photonics Research Lab at the Universitat Politècnica de València, as well as the growing spin-off company, CalSens. A key feature of his work is the design of easily multiplexable sensors, which allow for the simultaneous monitoring of multiple points along a single fibre line, therefore significantly reducing system complexity and installation costs. His work has been key in bringing photonics research from the laboratory to real-world applications in sectors such as aerospace, civil engineering, and energy.
His scientific work (comprising over 150 publications in JCR journals and nearly 10,000 citations) has always been driven by a strong focus on real-world application and technology transfer. This commitment is exemplified by the creation of the spin-off company CalSens SL and by leading numerous technology transfer projects with major industrial partners such as Aguas de Valencia, Airbus, Arcelor Mittal, CalSens, FGV, Ford, and Sacyr, among others.
The combination of industrial collaborations and competitive funding from European, national, and regional research programs has enabled both the training of highly skilled PhD graduates and engineers and the establishment of a world-class fiber optic sensing laboratory within the Photonics Research Labs. This laboratory is now recognized internationally as a leading center in optical sensing technologies, as demonstrated by long-standing collaborations and co-authored publications with prestigious institutions such as EPFL (Switzerland), Ghent University/IMEC (Belgium), University of Twente (Netherlands), University of Southampton (UK), Leibniz IPHT (Germany), Johns Hopkins University and University of Central Florida (USA), DTU (Denmark), RISE (Sweden), etc.
“This recognition is the result of the work of the entire PRL team and reflects the growing relevance of photonics in addressing the technological and social challenges of our time,” said Salvador Sales upon learning of his inclusion in the list.
With this distinction, Salvador Sales joins other PRL researchers recognized in previous editions, such as José Capmany, Pascual Muñoz, and Ivana Gasulla, further consolidating the leadership of the iTEAM and the UPV in the field of photonics at an international level.
Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Salva!