Queen to chair Spanish IYL Honorary Committee

Queen Letizia of Spain

The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 (IYL 2015) Spanish National Committee has announced that Queen Letizia of Spain has accepted the position of chair of the Honorary Committee of the Spanish International Year of Light. Other members of the committee include leading Spanish figures from academia and businesses where the technology of light plays a key role.

For Professor María Josefa Yzuel, President of the IYL 2015 Spanish Organising Committee and SPIE Past President, this is "an example of the firm commitment of Her Majesty the Queen in promoting science and technology in our country. Without doubt, this presidency of the Honorary Committee of the International Year of Light is great news for all of us working in light technologies and it will greatly help to spread the planned activities to the Spanish society."

Since the start of 2015, more than 1,000 activities have been carried out in Spain related for the International Year of Light and it is expected that the activities will reach a million people. These activities have involved a wide variety of entities, such as universities, schools and private companies. Red Eléctrica de España, Iberdrola, Ambilamp and MTB Laboratory have contributed as sponsors to the IYL 2015 celebration.

Members of IYL 2015 Spanish Honorary Committee serving with Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain are:

• Carmen Vela Olmos, Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
• Emilio Lora-Tamayo, President of the the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
• Manuel J. Lopez Perez, President of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE)
• Alberto Galindo Tixaire, President of the Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences (RAC)
• Jaime Sanchez Revenga, Board Director of Royal Mint of Spain
• Claude Cohen-Tanoudji, Nobel Prize in Physics, College de France, Paris
• Juan Ignacio Cirac Sasturain, Prince of Asturias Prize in Scientific and Technical Research, Max Planck Institute, Garching
• Ignacio S. Galán, President of Iberdrola
• Jose Folgado Blanco, President of Red Eléctrica de España
• Ana R. Diaz Vazquez, Director of Technologic Strategy and R & D in Abengoa
• Pere Mir i Puig, President of CELLEX Foundation
• Nazario Martin, President of Federation of Spanish Scientific Societies (COSCE).
• Ramon Pascual de Sans, President of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona (RACAB)
• Adolfo de Azcarraga, President of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF)
• Santiago Vallmitjana Rico, President of the Spanish Society of Optics (SEDOPTICA)
• Juan Carlos Martínez Moral, President of the Spanish General Council of Optometry and Optics (CGCOO)
• Lluís Torner i Sabata, President of the Catalan Association of Research Centres (ACER)

For more information on IYL 2015 activities in Spain, visit the Spanish National IYL website.

A link to this press release in Spanish can be downloaded here.