21st Century Women in Technology: Marta Castro López
Our guest for this latest instalment of 21st Century Women in Technology is Marta Castro López. With a PhD in Nanophotonics and a Master’s degree in Nanotechnology, this Vigo native decided to return to her native Vigo after working at Kings College London for two years and six years at Huawei’s headquarters in Munich. Gradiant’s offer of heading up the new Micro-Nanoelectronics and Photonics area and the possibility of balancing here professional and personal life were two important factors for her return. For this engineer, one of the most precious commodities in life is time. That’s why she is particularly focused on reducing the complexity of everyday tasks and the time we spend on them, as well as technological advances in medical treatments based on nanotechnologies.
What did you want to do when you were little?
My dream was to be an astronaut, but I soon became more realistic and switched to something to do with new technologies. I found a Basic book for kids and followed it using the Commodore 64 [an 8-bit home computer developed in 1982] we had at home. One of the exercises was to make a program to draw a ship using symbols and I loved it. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to write something that would do what you asked it to do. That’s why I ultimately went into programming and telecommunications.
Why did you choose technology?
Because I have always been fascinated by the fact that based on an initial idea or hypothesis you can create something that tests or executes it for you. My main motivation has always been to be able to improve people’s quality of life but also to facilitate every day, monotonous tasks that in principle do not require the investment of a person’s time. In that sense, I see time as one of our most valuable assets and technology as the main tool that would allow us to have more of that time to spend on more interesting things.
Where did you plan to study? Why?
In deciding on telecommunications, the answer was easy since the University of Vigo was considered one of the best in Spain in that field. Even so, during my degree I tried to get to know other universities; I did a one-year Erasmus at the University of Bologna in Italy and my final project at ESA-ESTEC in the Netherlands. Both experiences, especially doing the project at an international agency like ESA, opened me up to a broader view of technologies and really saw me catch the research bug. This led me to consider broadening my experience towards more disruptive technologies. That is why I took a Master’s degree in Nanotechnology. Later, I completed a PhD in Nanophotonics research at ICFO, which gave me the necessary skills to specialise in this field.
What are you currently working on?
We are establishing a new line of Micro-Nanoelectronics and Photonics in the area of Advanced Communications. Initially, the line has two clear objectives: the first was to introduce technological advances based on photonics and micro-nanoelectronics at Gradiant and apply them to current components and products in order to improve their performance. In parallel, new and more disruptive solutions based purely on photonics and/or micro-nanoelectronics and applied in the field of communications and sensors are being proposed. The second objective is to explore new fields within nanotechnology that will give us access to new applications. Specifically, we are planning activities in nanocommunications that would bring us closer to applications related to in-body networks, intercommunication in microchips or self-programmable surfaces, among others.
What do you like most about your work?
The truth is that the research part is what I like the most; from studying how we could improve a product using new technologies to proposing new ideas and studying their feasibility in order to become a more innovative product in the future.
Who is your female role model or reference in the world of technology?
The researcher who has always impressed me most because of her tragic story and what her work meant for society has always been Marie Curie. However, an example closer to home, and one that I still find admirable, is Professor Naomi Halas of Rice University. Her CV is so impressive and her work is a reference in many fields of physics, chemistry and biomedicine. She has managed to combine all these professional achievements, while leading a cutting-edge research group at a leading university and being a mother and having a family.
What is your reading of the situation regarding women in the technological field?
Not great. It’s still very difficult to reach a position of responsibility in this field (and in many others) as a woman. For these positions, you need a good work-life balance and not all organisations accept this and allow you as much flexibility as Gradiant does. What’s more, in order to reach those positions, you need a level of dedication throughout your professional career that sometimes is not compatible with being a mother or means putting it off until later. In particular, in the world of academic research, with its temporary contracts and lack of stability, many women do not even consider pursuing a doctorate. This means they don’t have the option of accessing these positions because they don’t have the necessary qualifications.
What would you say to the tech workers of the future?
We are in an incredible time for technological innovation, we have the tools and materials to do incredible things; we just have to get on with it. Every innovation is based on a previous idea or pre-existing knowledge, so it’s not about reinventing the wheel, but making it more resilient, more sustainable and if possible, generating energy rather than consuming it. But it’s also about finding new applications for it. For my part, I believe that Interdisciplinarity is the answer to the future of technological innovation where knowledge in fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, blend together to achieve the most impressive breakthroughs. One piece of advice: keep innovating even if people tell you it can’t be done.
