• Up to three Nobel Laureates form part of the new committee that will guide the scientific direction of the Foundation’s awards, which are now up and running

The first meeting of the Advisory Council Board of the new Foundation – formed following the merger of the three foundations that previously shared premises on Calle Pintor López in Valencia – has taken place.

The Fundación Valenciana Premios Rei Jaume I held its first meeting with its 10-member Advisory Committee, three of whom are Nobel Laureates: Roger Kornberg (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2006) as vice-chair, Eric Maskin (Nobel Prize in Economics 2007) and Randy Schekman (Nobel Prize in Medicine 2013). The remaining members of this committee will comprise current recipients of the Rei Jaume I Prize: María Blasco, José Capmany, Eugenio Coronado, Pura Muñoz-Cánoves, Ángela Pérez and María Vallet. In accordance with the statutes, the Board will be chaired by the executive president of the Awards and will meet twice a year.

The Council will examine proposals and suggestions for improving the Awards, which are routinely put forward by members of the prestigious jury panels, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the scientific and business communities in Spain, with the aim of maintaining the Awards’ reputation and increasing their social visibility.

“With this initiative, the Rei Jaume I Prizes’ commitment to promoting science and entrepreneurship in Spain is extended for at least another 35 years through a new project dedicated to strengthening greater collaboration between science, technology and business,” said Javier Quesada, executive chairman, “These are the three pillars that underpin and drive progress in the world’s most advanced nations.”