Prof. Pascual Muñoz has been a leading figure in photonic integration research at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) since 2005, focusing on application-driven and technology-agnostic solutions across SOI, InP, SiN, and hybrid platforms. His work bridges fundamental research and industrial application, establishing UPV as a reference in the field.

He co-founded VLC Photonics, a UPV spin-off, in 2011, transferring photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design expertise to industry. Serving as CEO until 2013 and board member until 2023, he guided the company through its acquisition by Hitachi High Tech in 2020. In 2017, he led the creation of UPVfab, UPV’s microfabrication R&D and pilot line facility, and co-founded HYBPIC in 2025 to commercialize hybrid integration technologies.

Prof. Muñoz is also recognized for his leadership in ecosystem development. He co-authored the Spanish PIC ecosystem white book (2020-2021), initiated PIXSpain (2022), and contributed to the Chips JU Pilot Line PIXEurope (2025-2035) and the PIXSpain Competence Center (2025-2029), reinforcing Spain’s role in European photonics.