Research Talent from the University of Valencia’s Science Park Shines Before an Audience of Over 450.

The first edition of GenTalks, held last Friday, September 19, at the Oceanogràfic of Valencia, brought together more than 450 people for a gala dedicated to science and the research talent of the Valencian Community.

Organized by the Valencian Regional Government together with the Association of Excellent Scientists of the GenT Plan (AccenT), the event was presented under the motto “Talent that Transforms” and turned scientific outreach into a vibrant, accessible narrative for the general public.

Among the highlights of this pioneering event were four researchers from the University of Valencia Science Park:

• José J. Baldoví, head of the 2D Smart Materials Lab at the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol), presented “The Power of the Infinitely Small”, bringing the audience closer to the potential of two-dimensional materials to revolutionize quantum computing and nanotechnology.
  
  

• Belén Franch, remote sensing expert, delivered the talk “Growing with Data”, showing how satellites can help forecast harvests and reduce the volatility of agricultural prices.
  
  

• Emma Torró, physicist at IFIC-CSIC/UV, surprised the audience with “The Universe in a Collision”, a journey through research at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and the search for new particles that could change the current model of physics.
  
  

• Gonzalo Abellán, head of the Two-dimensional Materials Chemistry Lab (ICMol) and co-founder of the company Matteco, inspired with “The Usefulness of the Useless”, illustrating the connection between basic science and innovative entrepreneurship.
  
  

The gala, hosted with humor and complicity by Mariola Penadés and Rafa Sebastián, combined science communication, spectacle, and emotion, keeping the audience engaged from the very first minute until the closing. The event ended with a collective ovation and the promise of future editions.

GenTalks was born with the aim of “promoting and showcasing the research talent of the Valencian Community,” highlighting the work of those who, from laboratories and universities, contribute to the region’s social, technological, and economic progress.

For attendees and speakers alike, the event was far more than a series of talks: it was a meeting where science was shared with passion and closeness, proving that knowledge can also move and transform.