INESC TEC earned international recognition in the field of laser-induced spectroscopy

INESC TEC was once again represented at EMSLIBS, a leading biennial international scientific conference dedicated to the advancement and application of LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy), held from 26-30 January in Senlis, France. Besides contributing to the event, INESC TEC’s photonics researchers claimed second place out of 18 competing teams in the EMSLIBS 2025 Data Challenge.

Designed to evaluate robust data processing and machine learning strategies, the EMSLIBS 2025 Data Challenge focused on a supervised classification problem using LIBS spectra acquired with a portable system – a solution developed by PhD student Tomás Lopes, under the supervision of researcher Nuno A. Silva. The second place further cements INESC TEC’s position in the field, and the team’s solution will feature in a scientific paper to be published soon.

INESC TEC researchers also made active contributions to the conference through two presentations and a poster. Pedro Jorge presented his work on an automated LIBS inspection system, combined with computer vision, for detecting chemical contaminants in recycled wood on an industrial conveyor belt. Diana Guimarães delivered a presentation on “Augmented Spectral Reality for Cultural Heritage”, bringing together LIBS and complementary techniques with 3D representation and augmented reality interfaces to improve data interpretation while minimising damage to samples. The poster, whose lead author is PhD candidate Diana Capela, addressed the harmonisation of data obtained from different LIBS instruments for rare earth element mapping, reporting an interlaboratory study between Portugal and the Czech Republic – towards improving interoperability and knowledge transfer between independent systems.

EMSLIBS 2025 – the 13^th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy – first took place in 2000, and has since played a key role in the field, providing researchers, engineers, and industry professionals with a platform to exchange knowledge, share advances, and foster collaboration in LIBS.