Today, the event of the CAF-Elhuyar awards was held in Kutxa Kultur Plaza, in Tabakalera (Donostia), and it was also possible to continue streaming. The event has been marked by the fact that this year Elhuyar celebrates its 50th anniversary, and it has had two parts.

In the first, 4 young scientists and scientists from four areas have looked forward to 50 years from the point of view of their respective research areas. For example, Itziar Itziar Irakulis Loitxate has talked about satellites and the environment; the topic of Maia Garcia Vergniory has been materials and physics; the conference of Gorka Azkune has talked about artificial intelligence and computation; and finally, Izoartze Santin Gómez has studied the fields of health and medicine.

The awards were then presented, with the slogan “Science and imagination, the keys to the future”. And it is that our society faces multiple problems for the future: dealing with the climate crisis, eliminating social inequalities, recognizing diversity… To do so, science will be an indispensable instrument. Also the imagination. Because we must imagine the future with courage. It can be said that the people who have presented to the contest have taken this first step, and the jury has decided to award in each category the following people:

The winner of the award for the general disclosure article was Ane Portillo Blanco, from Berango, with the article Emakumeen libidoaren heriotza: [Epaiketa garaia]. The court has held that the subject chosen by the author is unusual and that, in this regard, the fact that the issue has been raised is noteworthy. It also emphasizes that the narrative of the article is very original and that the fact that some images have been expressly created by the author gives more value to the work.

The article of disclosure based on an award-winning doctoral thesis was that of Amaiur Esnaola Illarreta, for his work entitled Gaueko bake frenetikoan dantzan segi dezan. Esnaola is a donostieta. The Court considered that the article perfectly reflects the investigation and conclusions. In addition, he points out that the story is nice and attractive, with a very proper wording, and that the photographs bring added value.

In the category of scientific journalism, the work Etxerreko putzua eta Hego Uribeko uren altxorrak has been awarded. Their authorship is shared: the winners are Jon Villapun Arbide, Jon Goikouria Larrabeiti and Maider Ibañez Espinosa. The jury has defined the work of the trio as rich and of good quality, well illustrated with images and testimonies, and although what is available is local, it can serve as an example for other places. The jury has declared that the work is as deep as rewarding and that it perfectly fulfills its objective of arousing interest in the treasures that we have around us and the need to preserve them. The work was published in the journal Geuria in June last year.

The Neiker prize, which aims to reward the work of the primary sector, has been this year for Fatima Villa González, for her work Zer diotso sagarrak jogurtari? The reasons for the award have been expressed by the jury in this literal way: "It addresses the issue of waste and, in this sense, responds to a current need. It's based on digitization, and it looks at the entire chain. It's didactic, it's well written. It poses it as a forward-looking but feasible proposal of great applicability.'

All the winners received a prize of EUR 2,000 and a sculpture by Imanol Andonegi Mendizabal.

In addition to the awards, the CAF-Elhuyar award, under the heading ‘Creation grant’, grants EUR 5 000 to support projects that bridge science and society. This year it has been for the bilbain Arantzazu Luzarraga Iturrioz, for the work of Ostutako Paisaiak. [Anthropozenoaren aztarnak euskal kostaldean].

The jury has agreed that this is an original project that addresses a topical issue. From a scientific theme, he proposes a creative work suggestive. In addition, it explains in depth and detail how the process will be, ensuring its applicability.

Finally, the Board of Trustees of the Elhuyar Foundation awards the CAF-Elhuyar prize to merit. The aim of this award is to pay tribute to the people who have stood out in the normalization of the Basque country and the dissemination of science and technology. This year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Elhuyar, the Board has granted this recognition to the founders of Elhuyar, who have been honored at the event: Iñaki Azkune Mendia, Felix Azpiroz Arrillaga, Juanjo Gabiña Carrera, Jesús Mari Goñi Zabala, Andoni Sagarna Izagirre and Mikel Zalbide Elustondo, and on behalf of the deceased Maite Moneo, widow of Luis Mari

The jury that has led the awards for news articles and journalistic works has been composed of: Arturo Elosegi Irurtia, ecologist and researcher at UPV/EHU; Marian Iriarte Ormazabal, chemist and researcher at UPV; Alberto Barandiaran Amillano, journalist and writer, and Aitziber Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, director of Elhuyar magazine. For the Neiker special prize, these have been the members of the jury: Arantza Madariaga Aberasturi, director of the Elika Foundation; Pilar Santamaría Martínez, head of area of the HAZI Foundation; and Rikardo Bueno Zabalo, director of BRTA.

For the Science in Society grant, the jury was as follows: Lorea Agirre Dorronsoro, director of the Jakin Foundation; Koldo Almandoz de la Cruz, film director; Josu Rekalde Izagirre, professor at the Department of Art and Technology at UPV; and Irune Bengoetxea Lanberri, communications officer at Elhuyar.

Creation grant 2021

In addition to meeting the winners, the event has provided an opportunity to learn about the projects that won the creation scholarship last year.

Two creation grants were awarded in 2021. One of them was obtained by Itxaso Navarro Celestino for his project Sonata 00001011-Spam irudien soinu transdukzioen kontzertua, which has been heard and visited at the event, in a concert offered thanks to the prize.

The other scholarship was for Ander Gortazar Balerdi and Jacek Markusiewicz, for the work 15 minutuko hiria, 45 minutuko lurraldea. [The Basque Country kartography]. Thanks to the prize received, they have had the opportunity to produce an exhibition in which they have shown the result of their project through a presentation made at the event.