Researcher Héctor Sarnago, from the Aragón Engineering Research Institute (I3A) at the University of Zaragoza, will lead the SPEED project, which has been awarded funding under the prestigious European ERC Consolidator Grant programme. The project proposes an unprecedented technological leap, bringing power electronics —the technology that manages 70% of all the world's electrical energy— to a new operating regime that is 100 to 500 times faster than the current one.
SPEED will develop the first generation of sub-nanosecond power electronics, capable of performing electrical transitions in picoseconds, two orders of magnitude faster than the latest commercial technologies. According to project estimates, the adoption of these technologies could generate energy savings of 16.78 TWh (terawatt hours) per year in the EU, equivalent to €4.797 billion and 3.4 million tonnes less CO₂.
Unizar, in the national ranking and ERCs since 2009
Héctor Sarnago's project is one of 349 selected by Europe with 728 million for the development of its disruptive projects in the ERC Consolidator Grant 2025 call, which closed on 14 January 2025, with a total of 3,121 proposals received, representing an increase of 35% over the previous year and 46% more than in 2023.
With this new grant, the University of Zaragoza has received funding for 25 ERC projects since 2009, with a total amount of €40.6 million, placing it among the top five Spanish universities in the national ranking by number of ERCs obtained in the Horizon Europe programme.
The 25 ERC excellence projects awarded to the Aragonese public campus are distributed among the following categories: Proof of Concept, 4; ERC-Starting, 9; ERC-Consolidator, 5; ERC-Advanced, 5; and Synergy Grant, 2 (one coordinated by Unizar and the other as a collaborating entity).
‘These figures place us at the forefront nationally in terms of attracting funding at the highest level in Europe,’ said Pilar Pina, Vice-Chancellor for Scientific Policy. ‘Aragón should be very proud to have a public university with a strong and robust research structure, backed by the capacity of its scientific community to secure financial support of this magnitude in the league of research excellence that is played out in Europe.’
The European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant 2025 call is aimed at researchers who are in the process of consolidating their own independent research team or programme, with the aim of strengthening their scientific career in Europe. Applications may be submitted by researchers of any nationality who have between 7 and 12 years of experience since obtaining their doctorate, provided that the host institution is located in a Member State or associated country.
It funds research projects at the frontier of knowledge with a budget of up to €2 million over five years, extendable by an additional €1 million in justified cases, such as transfers from third countries, acquisition of major equipment, access to large facilities, or experimental and field costs (excluding personnel).
A strategic boost for Europe
The SPEED project will enable Europe to position itself at the global forefront of power electronics, a key sector for the energy transition, electric vehicles, Industry 4.0 and high-performance computing.
With a budget of €2 million and a team that includes two postdoctoral researchers, three doctoral students and a specialist technician, the project will be carried out over five years at the I3A.
The advancement of SPEED ‘marks the beginning of a new generation of energy conversion that is faster, more efficient, and more sustainable. A technological revolution born in Aragón that aims to transform how the world consumes and manages electrical energy,’ says Héctor Sarnago.
A new energy model
This extreme speed will enable more efficient (>99%), ultra-compact (>50 kW/l) and significantly more economical converters by drastically reducing passive components and cooling systems. The improvement in efficiency promises to have a direct impact on key sectors:
- Electric mobility: reduction of up to 35% in motor losses thanks to the reduction in electrical ripple.
- Data centres, AI and supercomputing: ultra-compact and more efficient power supplies, enabling up to 1MW/rack.
- Renewable energy and electricity grids: more efficient and stable integration.
- New RF (radio frequency) and medical applications currently unattainable with conventional electronics.
A completely novel approach
SPEED proposes a comprehensive approach that combines innovations on three levels:
- Semiconductor device: A new switching cell with fully GaN-based adaptive dynamic drivers, capable of supplying ultra-fast currents and compensating for parasitic impedances.
- Topologies and control: Multilevel converters, integrated magnetic components adapted to tens of MHz, and digital control with picosecond resolution using System-on-Chip architectures.
- Electromechanical integration: Direct integration of semiconductors into the PCB, new AlN-based dissipation systems and integrated electromagnetic shielding.
A researcher specialising in power electronics
Héctor Sarnago is a professor and researcher at the University of Zaragoza, specialising in power electronics, a key technology for the development of electric vehicles, energy efficiency and applications in the field of health. He is a member of the Power Electronics and Microelectronics Group (GEPM), where he actively collaborates with international companies on technological innovation projects. Throughout his career, he has participated in more than 60 patents, many of them the result of collaborations with large companies in the industrial sector. In 2024, he received the Ramón y Cajal Award from the Government of Aragon for technology transfer.
ERC at the I3A Unizar
Since 2023, the I3A has secured six ERC projects, three Starting Grants (StG), one Consolidator Grant (CoG) and two Proof of Concept (PoC) grants, consolidating its position as a benchmark in talent retention, competitive European funding and international positioning. These results reinforce the institute's standing within the European ecosystem of research excellence and demonstrate its ability to attract and support high-potential researchers.
These advances are part of the I3A's international strategy, aimed at promoting participation in programmes of excellence such as the ERC. The institute works to increase the number of applications submitted in its various categories and maximise the chances of success. To this end, it provides technical support during the proposal preparation phase and funds the preparation of the interview phase with consulting services that are essential for this type of call, ensuring that researchers have the appropriate resources and advice at each stage of the evaluation process.
ERC at the I3A over the last 3 years:
- Jaime Ibáñez (ECHOES)
- Alejandra Consejo (VisionSAFE)
- Ana Serrano (PROXIE)
In addition, two Proofs of Concept (PoC) linked to José Manuel García Aznar's ICOMICS project, VASTO and HYMATE, have been secured..
