From 26-27 October the Málaga convention centre hosted the year’s main event by the journal Technology Review, which is published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The event, whose sponsors included the Fundación General CSIC, brought together national and international experts, who analysed the significance of innovative technologies and the way in which they will change our society.
The prize-giving ceremony for the TR35 Spain awards, paying tribute to the work of the ten most outstanding scientists and innovators aged under 35, run by the Technology Review, also took place at the gathering. These awards recognise the work of young Spaniards who are opening up new avenues in technology, with innovative ideas in biotechnology, materials, information technology, telecommunications, energy, transport, the Internet and business.
This edition of the prizes put the accent on researchers who have addressed major problems in transformative ways. Sometimes change comes with a new technology, such as using a system for improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of CO2 capture. On other occasions it translates into using existing technologies to give them greater accessibility, such as an affordable open-source smartphone; or even anticipating revolutionary concepts such as storing data in the cloud.
The award-winners included Nuria Gonzalez (29) who trained at the CSIC, and Francisco Javier Cazorla (32) and Manuel Moliner (31) who work at the National Supercomputing Centre (CSIC) and the Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIC), respectively.
Last but not least, the panel judges named Pau García Milà (24) «TR35 innovator of the year» for anticipating the concept of virtual storage, and Teresa Gonzalo (33) «TR35 innovator of the year for solidarity» for developing commercial nanotechnology to prevent the spread of HIV.
Through its journal Technology Review the MIT has been awarding these prizes for the last 12 years in the United States, where the list of winners includes Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook, 2007) and Sergey Brin (Google, 2002). This is the first time they have been awarded in Spain, after an exhaustive selection process.
More information at: http://www.emtechspain.com/premios-tr35/
