A solution that makes material inspection faster, more efficient and less invasive, with potential applications in areas like recycling, mining, cultural heritage and industrial quality control, has been recognised with the Best Oral Presentation Award at the first edition of IBEROLIBS. But the achievements of INESC TEC’s Photonics team did not stop there; at this international scientific congress, the team also received the Best Poster Award for presenting a new method to create interactive digital representations of cultural heritage objects with information on their elemental composition.
The Ibero-American community dedicated to research and development in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) gathered in Pontevedra, Spain, to present and discuss the latest developments in the field, and INESC TEC was well represented. Researchers Rafael Cavaco, João Carvalho, Diana Capela, Pedro Jorge, Diana Guimarães and Nuno Silva contributed extensively to the scientific programme through oral presentations, the chairing of thematic scientific sessions, and a poster presentation.
Their participation led to two awards: one for the Best Oral Presentation and another for the Best Poster.
Rafael Cavaco delivered the presentation “Hyperspectral Imaging-Guided LIBS Using a Home-Built Galvanometric Point-Scanning System”, introducing an innovative approach that uses hyperspectral imaging to automatically guide LIBS analyses. His presentation earned him the Best Oral Presentation Award. “This solution makes it possible to identify the most relevant regions of a sample before spectroscopic acquisition. By doing so, it reduces both the analysis time and the number of laser shots required, making material inspection faster, more efficient and less invasive, with potential applications in areas such as recycling, mining, cultural heritage and industrial quality control,” explained the researcher.
Diana Guimarães, who received the Best Poster Award, presented the work “3D Spectral Imaging for LIBS Elemental Analysis in Heritage”. Her research introduced a new method combining 3D scanning, LIBS spectroscopy and augmented reality to create interactive digital representations of cultural heritage objects that incorporate information about their elemental composition. “This approach significantly reduces the number of analyses required, helping to preserve fragile objects, while paving the way for new museum experiences in which visitors will be able to explore the composition of artefacts virtually through augmented reality glasses,” said the researcher.
The programme also featured presentations by Diana Capela (“Multimodal Knowledge Distillation for Mining Applications”), and João Carvalho, who presented (“Automated 3D Image Registration for LIBS Applications”). Researcher Pedro Jorge also delivered a keynote lecture on Spectral Intelligence for Industry, exploring the use of LIBS, multimodal imaging and Artificial Intelligence for the analysis of complex materials.
“Participating in IBEROLIBS 2026 provided an important opportunity to showcase the team’s latest research results, promote knowledge exchange with experts in LIBS and spectral imaging, and strengthen links with researchers and institutions across the Ibero-American scientific community,” the researchers said.
The 1st IBEROLIBS 2026 International Scientific Congress took place from 14 to 17 July in O Porriño, Pontevedra, Spain. The event brought together scientists, engineers, technicians and students from across the Ibero-American community to present and discuss the latest advances in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), covering topics ranging from fundamental research and technological developments to industrial and multidisciplinary applications. Pedro Jorge and Diana Guimarães are the first Portuguese members of the IBEROLIBS Society and played a key role in establishing this new scientific community.
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