• Researchers Gorka Azkune Galparsoro, Josu Doncel Vicente and Mikel Etxeberria Okariz and journalist Xabier Monasterio Torre have been awarded.

• The Arminorain Animation Group has received the scholarship to develop the project “Arminorain 2017” and M. The Prize went to mathematician Jesus Esteban Galarza.

• In total, 60 papers have been analyzed, half of the participants are women and the other half men.

Usurbil, 12 May 2017

All the winners. Ed. : Iñigo Ibáñez.

Today the ceremony of the Caf-Elhuyar Awards took place at the Kutxa Cultural Square in Tabakalera (Donostia). The objective of this award is to recognize the work of people who make an effort to integrate science and technology, as well as to promote projects aligned with this objective.

The jury analyzed a total of 60 works, of which the winning works have been the following by category:

Gorka Azkune Galparsoro has received an article on artificial intelligence: “Illuminating the dark paths of intuition.” Azkun (Azpeitia, 1982) presented his thesis on artificial intelligence last year, and currently works as a researcher at the Deusto Tech Institute, delving into research in the same field.

The award for the dissemination article based on the author’s doctoral thesis was for Josu Doncel Vicente with the work “Accelerate communications between networks: algorithms that find the optimal path”. Doncel (Getxo, 1985) holds a PhD in Mathematics, specializing in Applied Mathematics. After working in various research centres and French universities, he is currently a professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics at UPV/EHU.

On the other hand, in the category of scientific journalism work, a work created and published in Basque in 2016 has been awarded. The winner was radio host Xabier Monasterio Torre, for his piece titled “Cancer and its metastasis”. Monasterio (Bilbao, 1959) is a writer and translator and works as a broadcaster on Villa de Bilbao radio.

This year, in addition, a new award for best work related to the primary sector has been held in these categories: NEIKER-Tecnalia Award. Mikel Etxeberria Okariz has been the winner of this award, with the article “A summer with sheep following their instinct”. Etxeberria (Beasain, 1994) is a biologist and currently studies Master in Ecology in Madrid. He is also engaged in outreach, writing on the blog EuskalNatura since 2016.

All of them have received a prize of 2,000 euros and a sculpture by Imanol Andonegi Mendizabal.

In addition to the awards, the Caf-Elhuyar Awards grant a grant of 5,000 euros to promote projects that serve as a bridge between science and society. This year the Arminorain Animation team has been the winner of the “Arminorain 2017” project. The Arminorain Animation Group consists of students, alumni and professors from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Leioa, who carry out animation work. Proof of this is the short film “Beti bezperako koplak” (Kimuak).

Finally, the Board of Trustees of the Elhuyar Foundation awards the Elhuyar Award of Merit. Through it, it recognizes the work done in the normalization and socialization of Basque. And this year he has decided to give it to María Jesús Esteban Galarza.

Born in Alonsotegi (Bizkaia, 1956), he has been in Paris for years. He graduated in Mathematics from the UPV and pioneered the use of Basque in this field. He then moved to Paris where he did his doctoral thesis. Since 1981 he is a researcher at the French Research Centre and has been president of the Committee on Applied Mathematics of the European Mathematical Association. He has been appointed president of the International Council of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM).

María Jesús Esteban Galarza has received the Elhuyar de Méritos.Ed. : Iñigo Ibáñez.

After the awards ceremony, Enrike Hurtado Mendieta has shown the result of the project that last year received the creation scholarship in Science Society: “Txalaparta digital and interactive”.

Among the attendees, in addition to the winners and their friends and family, members of the jury and representatives of institutions such as José Mª have been present. Pitarke de La Torre, President of the Elhuyar Foundation and General Director of CIC nanoGUNE; Arantxa Tapia Otaegi, Councillor for Economic Development and Infrastructure; Bittor Oroz Izagirre, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Policy; Miren Dobaran Urrutia

The jury, for its part, has judged the articles of dissemination and the works of journalism: Leire Cancio Orueta, Director General of Elhuyar; Arturo Elosegi Irurtia, ecologist and researcher at UPV; Marian Iriarte Ormazabal, chemist and researcher at UPV; Alberto Barandiaran Amillano, journalist and director of the INITIATIVE; and Ukamxune Martinez Mazaga Foundation.

The NEIKER-Tecnalia award for the best work in the primary sector has been awarded by Eva Ugarte Sagastizabal, Head of the Innovation Unit of NEIKER-Tecnalia.

Finally, the projects presented to the creation scholarship in Science Society have been judged by: María Gil Rodriguez, head of the scientific unit Elhuyar; Josu Rekalde Izagirre, director of the Department of Art and Technology of the UPV/EHU; and Koldo Almandoz de La Cruz, film director.