Pioneering Self-Sustained Photonics: The bLOSSom Project Officially Launches
BLOSSOM project funded under EIC pathfinder Open Call has officially launched!
On March 18th, our consortium gathered in Vigo, Spain for a Kick-off Meeting hosted by our Coordinators, Gradiant. It was a full day defined by collaboration and shared vision. Six partners from across Europe gathered in one room, showcasing their incredible knowledge and experience. We are now fully aligned and ready to embark on this ambitious 48-month journey.
So, what exactly are we setting out to achieve over the next four years?
We are on a mission to completely rethink how optical systems consume and manage energy.
Integrated photonics, the technology that relies on light to process and transmit data within chips, offers massive advantages in speed and efficiency. However, as these networks scale up, they inevitably hit an “energy wall.” During operation, they generate parasitic energy losses, leaking power in the form of heat or radiation. BLOSSOM (Self-Sustained Photonic Systems through Autonomous LOSS Harvesting) is taking that wasted energy and putting it to work.
Instead of letting that power slip away, our team is developing specialised electro-optical transducers to capture those internal losses. This harvested energy is then stored and redistributed exactly when and where it is needed through an integrated Power Management Unit. By merging molecular physics with advanced electronics, we are building systems capable of activating and powering themselves.
The implications of this technology are massive. Imagine ultra-massive modular photonic networks and brain-inspired AI architectures that can grow exponentially while keeping their external energy needs close to zero. We are looking at potential energy reductions of 100 to 1,000 times compared to today’s architectures. This leap forward will pave the way for radically more efficient data centers, advanced and energy-independent medical imaging, and resilient, self-sustained monitoring systems for smart infrastructure.
Pushing the boundaries of deep-tech requires serious backing and a world-class team. Out of more than 2,000 proposals submitted to the highly competitive Horizon-EIC-2025-Pathfinder program, BLOSSOM was one of only 44 selected. Securing this €3 million funding,overcoming a success rate of less than 2%, is a huge validation of this frontier research. It is also a historic milestone for the Galician R&D ecosystem, marking the first and only EIC Pathfinder Open project led by a Galician research technology organisation.
None of this would be possible without the multidisciplinary powerhouse we have assembled. Coordinated by Gradiant under the scientific leadership of Marta Castro López, the project champions both female leadership and the advancement of early-career researchers. Our consortium spans four countries, uniting Gradiant, energHius, and CiTIUS-USC from Spain; F6S Innovation from Ireland; the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) from Portugal; and the Łukasiewicz Research Network from Poland.
Together, we are taking a vital step toward securing Europe’s technological sovereignty in advanced microelectronics and intelligent photonics.
We are incredibly excited about the road ahead and invite you to follow our journey as we turn high-risk research into a breakthrough reality.
