The awards ceremony was attended by Eduardo Punset, president of the jury and of the awards, and Manuel Manrique, Chairman of Sacyr Vallehermoso (SyV). The “Hacemos lo imposible” Sacyr Awards are distinctions that recognize, stimulate and reward values such as innovation, creativity and inventiveness, and, also bestow prestige on the winners by advertising their works. The awards in the four categories of the "Hacemos lo imposible " Awards were presented at Sacyr Vallehermoso's headquarters with a great reception, with more than 50 entries submitted.
In addition to a diploma, the winner of each category received a cash prize. The Chairman of Sacyr Vallehermoso, Manuel Manrique, expressed his satisfaction with the high level of receptivity of the call for entries in the scientific, technical and university communities. Eduardo Punset also highlighted the high quality of the submissions.
The jury of the "Hacemos lo imposible " Sacyr Awards, chaired by Eduardo Punset, scientific communicator and scientist, and Manuel Manrique, Chairman of SyV, was also formed by: Gonzalo León Serrano, Vice-rector of Research at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; María González Campos, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Science and Innovation; Luis Muiño, psychotherapist and scientific communicator on psychology-related topics on the radio, press and various media; Chema Lapuente, technology communicator and one of the most recognized journalists specializing in technology on the national scene.
The winners of the four categories were:
1st Category: Technological and environmental innovation
The project was an Environmental simulator of extreme winds, presented by Jose Mª Terrés-Nicoli, researcher of the Oritia and Boreas Group in Granada. This tool consists of a simulator for the study of wind effects in different systems (civil engineering, building, environmental, renewable energy, sports science, leisure or health), capable of reproducing the differential and shear turns typical of the three-dimensional nature of the flow (thermal breezes, winds of complex topography, low level jets, downbursts, tornadoes). The considerable dimensions of an adaptable test section allow, for example, adequate topography modeling for proper wind resource prospection. Additionally, the installation in the circuit of a heat exchanger and steam injection and drying system for climatic control of the flow allows the control of other climatic variables.
2nd Category: Education for Innovation
“Generating culture change. Unit of social entrepreneurship, ethics and values in engineering”, was the winning project presented by a team from the School of Mining Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Madrid formed by Belén Flor Ortiz, Ana García Laso Domingo, Martín Sánchez and Emilio Muñoz Ruiz. With this project, the winners aim to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit of the person and consider him or her as the center of all action, and that institutions and entities are built for people and not the other way around.
3rd Category: Technological innovation and economics journalism
The winner was the program “A hombros de gigantes”, a science program broadcast by Radio Nacional de España, directed by Manuel Seara, which includes reports and interviews to inform listeners of advances in science.
4th Category: Management of citizen participation projects
In the section of Management of Citizen Projects, the winning work is entitled “Minimization of electromagnetic pollution caused by new installations of mobile communications in urban environments through evolutionary computing techniques”. This is a project presented by a team from the University of Alcala de Henares, whose project objective is the development of a software tool for the Management of New Mobile Telecommunications Sites in Urban Environments.