POLYMAT took part in the official reception of the new Fellows Gipuzkoa researchers, a strategic programme promoted by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa to strengthen the attraction and retention of international scientific talent within the Basque R&D ecosystem. During the event, held at Ikerbasque, six outstanding researchers presented the projects they are developing in leading centres across the territory.

Among them, Elena Gabirondo (POLYMAT) introduced Respoly, a project focused on the development of CO₂-responsive “breathable” polymer membranes for carbon capture and effective decarbonisation. The initiative advances functional materials capable of selectively interacting with carbon dioxide, contributing to scalable solutions aligned with current climate and energy transition challenges.

The session also gathered leading representatives of the Basque research ecosystem, including Celia Rogero (Director of CFM/MPC), David Mecerreyes (Scientific Director of POLYMAT), Aitziber López (Scientific Director of CIC biomaGUNE), Txema Pitarke (Director General of CIC biomaGUNE), Ana Fernández (Manager of BCBL), and Miguel Arocena (Director General of Ikerbasque), highlighting the collaborative strength of Gipuzkoa’s R&D network.