• This year’s BASF-ICIQ Awards in Innovation and Entrepreneurship were presented to the best doctoral thesis, patent, and entrepreneurship project this week in Tarragona.
• Among the winners are the spin-off company Nanobots Therapeutics S.L., created by IBEC and ICREA and headed by Prof. Samuel Sánchez, and Dr. Craig Day, former PhD student at ICIQ.
• The awards highlight the transformative potential of researchers and entrepreneurs in the field of chemistry.
This Wednesday the awards ceremony for the second edition of the BASF-ICIQ Awards in Innovation and Entrepreneurship was held in the city of Tarragona. The event recognises and rewards the best talents in the fields of chemistry, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The event was organised by BASF, one of the world’s leading chemical companies, and the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), a BIST research centre.
The BASF-ICIQ Awards have become a benchmark for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Iberian Peninsula. This edition received a record number of nominations, demonstrating the growing importance of this type of recognition in the sector.
The second edition of the contest, with a total endowment of 9,000 euros in prizes, has recognised winners in three categories: best doctoral thesis, patent, and entrepreneurship project. The jury of renowned experts in the field of chemistry and business has selected the winners from among a group of outstanding finalists.
Among the winners this year are researchers who have disrupted the field of chemistry, entrepreneurs who have developed disruptive technological solutions, and young talent who have shown great potential for future success with their theses.
The prize for the best doctoral thesis has recognised the research done by two researchers. Dr. Craig Day completed his thesis under the direction of Prof. Ruben Martín, group leader at ICIQ, focusing his study on new ways of understanding catalytic interactions. Currently, the researcher is doing a post-doctoral stay at Aarhus University in Denmark. The second award winner is Dr. Alberto Garrido Castro, who has been recognised for the originality and scientific innovation of his thesis defended at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, which focused on catalysis and the study of different catalytic activation modes.
The biomedical spin-off Nanobots Therapeutics S.L., created by IBEC and ICREA, and led by IBEC group leader and member of the BIST community Prof. Samuel Sánchez, has been awarded for its potential to transform broad-spectrum treatments for diseases with medical need.
The best patent has been awarded to Dr. Ana Martínez, researcher at the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), for an invention related to purine derivatives and their use in the treatment of neurological conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
During the ceremony, which included the winners, the scientific community, and various public authorities, attendees gained first-hand knowledge of the projects and ideas that led to these awards. Additionally, a keynote lecture was delivered by Engracia Girones, CEO and founder of Atanor 118, S.L. Girones spoke about the importance of women in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship to ensure sustainable products with high added value.
Carles Navarro, General Manager of BASF, expressed satisfaction with the level of the proposals presented: “The BASF-ICIQ Awards are a demonstration of the success of our collaboration with the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia, one of the benchmark research institutions with whom we work to recognise brilliant minds that are conducting research to ensure a more sustainable and innovative future.”
Prof. Emilio J. Palomares Gil, the director of ICIQ, added, “Through contests like this, we welcome the initiative of scientists and people who are working to transform science and offer real solutions to the challenges we face as a society.”
The BASF-ICIQ Awards in Innovation and Entrepreneurship provide an opportunity to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of chemistry. With each new edition, it continues to recognise the talent of professionals from the Iberian Peninsula.
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