A European reference point for research with light waves, based on a fundamental multi-disciplinary approach. This is LENS, the European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, since its birth in 1991 as center of excellence of the University of Florence. A place where physicists, chemists and biologists work together every day, sharing instrumentation, experiences, research themes, scientific perspectives and ideas with the common aim of using laser light to investigate matter from different points of view and under different conditions. Research interests include atomic physics, photonics, biophysics, and chemistry, without forgetting advanced training of young researchers, thanks to e.g. a EU Marie Curie training program, through high quality PhD courses and a rich Post Doctoral fellowship program.