Science and Innovation

The Mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni, participated this afternoon in the presentation of the City of Barcelona Awards for the 3 science categories that were missing: Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences, and Experimental Sciences and Technology. For the first time, a special event has been organized for the scientific categories, after the other 13 awards for the culture and urban planning areas were presented on March 12. The event took place in the Saló de Cent of Barcelona City Council.

2024 Science Awards

The awards for research and innovation were granted to the following 3 works, and they also received a special mention.

Environmental and Earth Sciences:

The award went to the study “Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and climate change: unprecedented warming demands unprecedented action” led by researchers Kim van Daalen, first author, and Rachel Lowe, research leader. The jury highlighted the components of innovation and scope, the international collaboration and the relevant scientific contribution of a work that serves as a reference for interdisciplinary research on the impacts of climate change on health.

Life Sciences:

In this category, researcher Laura Soucek was recognized for her article “MYC targeting by OMO-103 in solid tumors: a phase 1 trial” published in the journal Nature Medicine. The study demonstrates, based on a clinical trial, the validity of the MYC protein as a therapeutic target for the treatment of solid tumors. The jury has particularly valued the researcher’s commitment to transferring her knowledge applied to therapies useful for citizens.

Experimental sciences and technology:

In this field, the award went to Jose Antonio Garrido and Kostas Kostarelos, for the article “Nanoporous Graphene-based thin-film microelectrodes for in vivo-high-resolution neural recording and stimulation” which develops a technology of graphene, which has allowed the integration of microimplants in the field of neuromedicine, in the analysis phase.On the other hand, the jury also awarded a special mention to Marcel Guàrdia, for his article “Why are inner planets not inclined?“. The work demonstrates a mathematical theorem on the instability in planetary systems, providing a plausible explanation for the stability of the solar system.

Talent and innovative spirit

During the event, the Mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni, highlighted that the awards highlight “talent, innovative spirit, but above all the social impact that the development of science and research has on our lives” and added that, with the awards, “Barcelona continues to claim science and technology as keys to a better future” in a global context in which, he said, recognizing science “is an act of political reaffirmation”.Collboni assured that in Barcelona “we are experiencing a revolution on a large scale in terms of science” which is becoming, he explained, “an engine of urban transformation with entire areas of Barcelona that are coming to life thanks to investments in science”, he added. 

2024 City of Barcelona Awards in the field of culture

This afternoon’s event complements the presentation of the 2024 City of Barcelona Awards on March 12, where the awards for the rest of the categories were presented. In the field of letters and thought, the winners were Xavier Pla in the Essay, Humanities and History category; Gabriela Wiener in Literature in Spanish; Cristina Masanés in Literature in Catalan, and Xavier Pàmies in Translation in Catalan.

The Architecture and Urbanism award went to Carlos Ferrater, Lucía Ferrater and Jesús Coll, while in the Design and Fashion category it went to Teresa Helbig.

The 2024 City of Barcelona Awards also distinguished Maria Rodríguez Soto and the Taller Estampa Collective in the Audiovisual and Digital Culture categories, respectively. In the field of popular culture and education, the Coordinator of Colles Geganteres de Barcelona was recognized in Popular and Community Cultures, and Marta Galán Sala in Culture and Education. In Music, Visual Arts and Performing Arts, the winners were Tarta Relena, Jordi Colomer and Victoria Szpunberg, respectively.

75 years of awards

The Ciutat de Barcelona Awards have been held since 1949 and have gradually adapted to the reality of the moment and the evolution of the city. They were born as literary awards, and have gradually incorporated other artistic and educational disciplines, and finally also scientific projects. In this way, they reinforce their role of recognizing excellence and international projection in creation and cultural, scientific and educational research. On this occasion, the jury for the science categories was made up of people of recognized scientific prestige within the field of science and was chaired by members of the Scientific Advisory Board of Barcelona.