Torrice: The Evening When Brambles Became a Park and a Native Son Told the Story of Light

August 17, 2026 - In a feature by Italian journalist Alessio Porcu, ANELLO Photonics Co-Founder and CEO Mario Paniccia returns to Torrice, Italy, the hometown his parents left for the United States in the 1950s, to share the experiences that shaped his career in photonics and technology.

Paniccia spoke about pursuing ambitious ideas even when the path forward is uncertain. His early work focused on using light instead of electricity to transmit information, an effort that helped advance silicon photonics. His first photonic chip took three years to work, reinforcing a lesson he shared with the audience: unsuccessful attempts are not simply failures, but steps toward discovering what works. Today, Porcu notes, Paniccia holds approximately 80 patents, and the technology has continued to improve significantly from its earliest versions.

After 22 years at Intel and recognition as Scientist of the Year in 2008, Paniccia chose to leave an established career and pursue a new challenge. That decision ultimately led to ANELLO Photonics, whose name ”anello”, Italian for “ring”, reflects the company’s photonic technology, where light travels within a ring structure.

Porcu’s story captures a message that continues to define Paniccia’s approach to innovation: follow your passion, embrace change, and treat every setback as part of the process of building something that has never existed before.

Article translated from Italian.

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Media Contact:
Gerhard Boiciuc
gerhard.boiciuc@anellophotonics.com