From PV to bio: Surviving the photovoltaic bubble at laser centre UPM

Laser Centre UPM is one of the leading Research Centers in Spain in the field of industrial applications of high power lasers. Founded in 1998 in the oldest and largest Spanish Technical University, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, its activity is focused in technological transfer of laser-based processes to industry. With an important experience in laser micromachining using fast and ultrafast lasers, one of the fields in which its activity has produced more relevant results is laser process development for photovoltaic (PV) industry. Starting in 2004, its activity in this field in collaboration with other public Spanish institutions and other industrial partners has had a remarkable scientific and technological impact. Unfortunately, this activity was seriously restricted since 2010 due to the economic crisis in general and the photovoltaic industry evolution in particular. However, the background acquired in some particular applications and the inertia obtained with that activity has opened new fields of activity of Laser Center UPM in advanced laser-based processes for biomedicine. This paper summarizes the main achievements of Laser Center UPM in PV and how it performed the transition to new applications in a completely different sector, like biomedicine, using the experienced accumulated in the development of new laser based processes for PV.