The King presided over the solemn ceremony of the Rei Jaume I 2024 Prizes, held, as every year, in the Lonja de los Mercaderes in the city of Valencia. This is the 36th edition, which was scheduled for November 2024, but was postponed due to the consequences of the DANA.

Antonio Acín (Basic Research), Francisco Pérez (Economics), Xavier Trepat (Biomedical Research), Sergio M. Vicente (Environmental Protection), Luis Serrano (New Technologies), Víctor Amarnani (Entrepreneur) and Jordi Sunyer (Clinical Research and Public Health) have received from King Felipe VI the medal that accredits them as winners of their respective categories.

Institutional Interventions

The mayoress of Valencia, Mª José Catalá, began her speech by thanking His Majesty for his support for these prizes and “for his presence at a particularly difficult time for the Valencian people”. Catalá remarked that “the wealth of a country should not be measured only in economic terms, but also in its ability to generate talent and with it a positive impact on people’s lives. And that is what is being recognized today. The world faces many challenges. Climate change is a fact, and we must anticipate, prepare ourselves and protect our neighbors. And we can only do that with knowledge. Science is the solution.

In his speech, the president of the Valencian Foundation Rei Jaume I Prizes, Vicente Boluda, wanted to recognize King Felipe VI for the “solidarity, empathy and affection shown towards our land, and towards the victims of the DANA  of October 29th, being always on the side of those affected by the disaster, stepping on the ground  on many occasions and attending the funeral of the victims”. In addition, in his speech he wanted to point out four lessons from the catastrophe, the fourth of them: “is that science and research produce advances and innovations that our companies can implement and, thus, not only allow us to have more accurate diagnoses, but to work for the reduction the environmental impact of our developments. Undoubtedly, science, research, technology and business are the pillars on which we must base our present and our future. And we must work on the basis of these pillars so that what has happened does not happen again”.

This year Luis Serrano, winner of New Technologies prize, spoke in behalf of the seven winners and after thanking them for the prize he had a fond memory towards the team of research group, “Without dedication, effort and intellectual contribution we would not have been worthy of this prize, and therefore, they are part of it”. In his speech he claimed that, although Spanish science has achieved great advances and contributed to notable successes, “science still does not occupy the place it deserves in the Spanish public conscience, nor is it valued with the pride it should be […] we are still far from the level of investment we should be making in science in proportion to our economy. For all these reasons, I believe that prizes like this are essential to highlight the value of science and innovative entrepreneurial activity in our country and to convey to our young people that science and entrepreneurship are fun, exciting and fundamental for the progress of humanity, and that in this country of ours we believe in and are committed to them”.

The President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, said that “the hope of advancing towards normality of so many Valencians, makes sense inside the walls of this Lonja. The genius of those who help us move forward is recognized every year. That is why I want to recognize the difficult task of the prestigious jury of these prizes, which each edition has the challenge of recognizing the best among the excellent ones. These prizes are proof that our country has a great mass of talent. What is created is always magnificent. Our companies have understood that anchoring themselves to science and innovation is the future”.  

Finally, HM King Felipe VI began his speech by remembering those affected by the DANA and encouraging everyone to continue with their efforts, solidarity and responsibility in order to recover. He also recognized the prizes and their winners, “The Rei Jaume I Prizes continue to weave links between science and technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. And he stressed that “in these times, open and constructive dialogue between those who create knowledge and those who apply it is a necessity that cannot be postponed”. “But these prizes are a great value for society because they highlight, through the example of the winners, the enormous importance of strengthening the synergies between innovation and entrepreneurship, between social value and economic value, and between competitiveness and prestige or image of the country”.

This year’s edition was once again attended by representatives of civil, political, economic and social society, among the nearly 400 people who attended the ceremony. Among them, the trustees of the Rei Jaume I Prizes Foundation, the jurors present, family members and representatives of the collaborators: Iberdrola Foundation Spain in Environmental Protection, Valencia City Council in New Technologies, AirLiquide Healthcare and CaixaBank in Biomedical Research, Mercadona, Edem and AVE in the Entrepreneur Prize. In addition, entities such as the Port Authority of Valencia, Boluda Corporación Marítima, Council of Chambers of Commerce of the Valencian Community, Banco Santander Foundation, Pavasal, RNB, SPB, Vectalia Group, CEV, Provincial Council of Valencia, Logifruit, Torrecid Foundation, BP, Empresas del Sol, Provincial Council of Alicante and Segura-Balpa Group also collaborate in the prizes.