We’re off to Málaga to present the Rei Jaume I Prizes

On Tuesday 4 February, Málaga will host, for the first time, an information day for the Rei Jaume I Prizes, which for over 35 years have recognised excellence in science, research and entrepreneurship in Spain. Organised by the Fundación Valenciana Premios Rei Jaume I, in collaboration with the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs (AVE), the Málaga Confederation of Entrepreneurs and the Málaga Business Circle, the event will centre on a round-table discussion under the theme “Collaboration between Science and Business: A Look to the Future”, featuring key figures from the academic and business worlds.

Notable among the participants at next Tuesday’s event are the Mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre; the President of the Fundación Valenciana Premios Rei Jaume I and of the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs, Vicente Boluda; Carlota Escutia, winner of the 2023 Rei Jaume I Prize for Environmental Protection; Francisco J. Tinahones, scientific director of IBIMA, amongst other prominent figures from the social, scientific and business sectors. The event will take place at the Gran Hotel Miramar in Málaga on Tuesday 4 February, starting at 12 noon, and will serve to raise awareness of the Awards and encourage candidates to apply.

In addition to the presentation of the Awards, next Tuesday’s event in Málaga will address the importance of cooperation between the scientific community and the private sector in driving economic and social development. The Fundación Valenciana Premios Rei Jaume I, whose jury includes some twenty Nobel laureates, aims through this event to encourage the academic and business communities to submit their nominations for the Rei Jaume I Prizes.

The 36th Rei Jaume I Prizes Awards Ceremony will take place on 14 February

On 14 February, the traditional Rei Jaume I Prize Awards Ceremony will be held at the Lonja de los Mercaderes in Valencia, which, as you will recall, was postponed due to the DANA weather system, given the situation and circumstances surrounding that terrible tragedy.

The awards ceremony is one of the most significant social events in the Comunitat Valenciana and is attended by a broad cross-section of civil and political society.  This ceremony will be the culmination of a programme of events featuring the award winners, including press conferences, a symposium at which they summarise and present their main discoveries, and a lecture they will deliver at selected venues across the three provinces of the Comunitat Valenciana. Through their active participation, the general public can witness the excellence of our Awards, which are unique in Spain due to the calibre of their nominees and their juries, comprising more than twenty Nobel Laureates.

The winners of the 36th edition are:

> Antonio Acín, in the Basic Research category

> Francisco Pérez, in Economics

> Xavier Trepat, in Biomedical Research

> Sergio Vicente, in Environmental Protection

> Luis Serrano in New Technologies

> Victor Amarnani, in the Entrepreneur Prize

> Jordi Sunyer, in Clinical Research and Public Health

This awards ceremony provides yet another opportunity to highlight and reinforce support for science, research and entrepreneurship in Spain – three tools that will contribute more than ever to repairing the damage caused by the recent flooding and to preventing or minimising the consequences of similar events.