This week, the MaPALDA Consortium meets in Barcelona at IDNEO’s headquarters. The partners reviewed recent progress and agreed on the next steps for massively parallel FMCW LiDAR development.
Representatives from Ommatidia LiDAR, IDNEO, Dongwon Industries, Hanyang University, ALC Net, Viewnyx, and the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) shared results and outlined upcoming plans. The project is supported by the Korea–Spain Strategic Programme (KSSP), with national backing from CDTI Innovación in Spain and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). This meeting shows how international collaboration can accelerate photonics innovation in the automotive field.
MaPALDA Consortium Meets in Barcelona: Key Focus Areas
During the session, the consortium focused on several topics:
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Multi-beam sensing architectures for faster, parallel data capture.
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Photonic integration to design smaller and more reliable LiDAR systems.
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Robust on-vehicle validation for safe, real-world use.
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In-cabin and automotive applications, including driver monitoring and safety tools.
Moreover, partners agreed that Barcelona offers a strong base for photonics and automotive testing, which makes it the right place to hold these discussions.
Spain–Korea Collaboration for Mobility
The MaPALDA Consortium meeting in Barcelona also highlighted the benefits of cross-border work. Spanish research in photonic integrated circuits and Korea’s expertise in automotive R&D create a powerful combination. Therefore, the project is moving faster from research to real-world testing.
In addition, this approach helps bridge the gap between lab innovation and industry deployment. It also ensures that new FMCW LiDAR solutions will be practical and cost-effective.
Next Steps for MaPALDA
Looking ahead, the consortium will continue working on LiDAR platforms that can deliver:
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Safer autonomous driving and assisted-driving functions.
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Smarter in-cabin monitoring for vehicles.
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Scalable photonic designs ready for mass adoption.
As a result, the MaPALDA project is helping to reduce barriers and speed up the use of advanced LiDAR in mobility.
Conclusion
The MaPALDA Consortium meeting in Barcelona proved once again the value of international collaboration. With support from CDTI and KIAT, the project is shaping the future of FMCW LiDAR for vehicles and mobility. The work ahead will keep pushing towards reliable, efficient, and scalable solutions for the automotive industry.
