- These awards seek to recognize and promote the research work of students and disseminate their work
- More than 20 university students, with a minimum score of 8 out of 10 on their papers, applied to the event
The Fundación Cepsa Chair of Innovation and Energy Efficiency at the University of La Laguna has recognized Modesto González Rodríguez and Enrique Pérez Hernández with the first prizes for the Best Master Capstone (TFM) and Undergraduate Capstone (TFG) Projects, in this event’s first edition.
The purpose of these awards is to recognize the research work and innovation undertaken by university students in the areas covered by this Chair, such as energy use of waste and the circular economy; transport logistics; building energy efficiency; environmental solution analysis in energy operations and technologies that reduce consumption, and research on carbon and water footprints.
It also seeks to contribute to the dissemination of these university projects and to foster future academic work that will help promote innovation and energy efficiency. More than 20 students from the ULL applied to the event, all having obtained a minimum score of 8 out of 10 in their works, as a requirement for these Awards.
The Technical Evaluation Commission, responsible for analyzing the works presented and selecting the winners, has also recognized other students, two for each modality: Francisco Arturo Cruz and Gabriel González Rodríguez, who won second and third place with their TFGs, and Itziar Rodríguez Hernández and Noelia Cruz Pérez, who won second and third place with their TFMs.
Comprising representatives from the ULL and researchers from Cepsa’s Research Center, the Technical Evaluation Commission considered the originality and the degree of innovation of the presented projects, in addition to their quality, importance, and practical application of their results, and the potential to develop future academic projects.
The award includes a 1,000-euro prize for each of the first-place prizes, 600 euros for second place, and 300 euros for the projects that were recognized in third place. In total, 3,800 euros will be distributed among the students.
Innovative topics
In the TFM modality, the first prize was awarded to the project on “The protonic conductive materials derived from La3Nb07 for ITSOF,” while the other two distinctions were awarded for the analysis of “Application of real-time information and prediction to improve efficiency in smart cities,” and “The carbon footprint and water footprint of marinas in the Canary Islands.”
Regarding the TFG awards, the awarded projects addressed the “Low-cost i-v curve plotter for photovoltaic cells,” “Optimized planning of a traffic light system with evolutionary algorithms: an application to the Padre Anchieta traffic circle in Santa Cruz de Tenerife,” and the “Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) in analytical microextraction strategies:”
The launch of these Awards is part of the program of activities planned for 2020 by the Fundación Cepsa Chair of Innovation and Energy Efficiency at the University of La Laguna, created in 2018, which aims to become a leading model in the relations between private enterprise and academic institutions.
Cepsa chairs, which are managed through its Foundation, at the Universities of La Laguna, Huelva, Cádiz, Seville and Madrid, are being continually strengthened thanks to contributions and involvement from professionals at the Company and academic institutions dedicated to enhancing research, innovation and education.
Cepsa is a great ally of these universities. Its chairs have already enabled thousands of students to access the world of employment while bringing university professors closer to the energy and chemical reality. Knowledge and experience exchanges between Cepsa professionals and university teachers and students represent an enrichment for everyone.
