Carlo Callegari and Kevin Prince of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, together with Giuseppe Sansone of the University of Freiburg, have been awarded the 2026 EPS Quantum Electronics and Optics Division (QEOD) Prize for Research in Laser Science and Applications, one of Europe’s most prestigious distinctions in the field of laser science and technology, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the development of ultrafast light-based research. The award recognises contributions made through research activities carried out at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and its FERMI free-electron laser facility, highlighting the role of these infrastructures in advancing research in laser science and ultrafast phenomena.