Creativity, innovation and social commitment were the focus again at the 2026 MOTIVEM Awards. The Universitat de València recognised 5 projects this Wednesday. The projects were driven by multidisciplinary teams of students that provide innovative solutions in many fields such as urban sustainability, health, resource management or cultural dissemination.
The awards ceremony –hosted at the Botanical Garden of the Universitat de València– gathered institutional representatives, teachers, students and collaborative entities in an initiative that fosters the university entrepreneurial spirit through team-work between students and teachers. The programme was coordinated by the Vice-rector for Students, Educational Transformation and Permanent Training of the Universitat de València and managed by the ADEIT Foundation.
Thermo-Shield Asphalt –awarded in the field of Architecture and Engineering– presents a covering capable of reducing the asphalt temperature and contributing to air purification. It consists in a proposal aimed at building more sustainable and adapted cities that respond to the necessities of the most vulnerable groups. This team is composed by the students Raul Durà Navarro; Iván Igual Torrent; Josep Arnau Llop Macías; Sergio Tomás Martínez; and Lucas Sendra Esteve. All of them are from the degree in Chemistry. It is also coordinated by the MOTIVEM professor José Badia Valiente (School of Engineering-ETSE).
In the category of Sciences, the award-winning idea is BioMam. Biomam proposes a wearable and non-invasive device with the shape of a bra cup capable of contributing the detection of breast cancer. With biomarkers and colorimetric sensors, it intends to facilitate a more accessible and comfortable detection. This team is composed of the students from the Degree in Chemistry –Bárbara Rebeca Callorda García and Isabel Fernández Serrano–, the students of the Degree in Chemical and Chemical Engineering –Guillem Hurtado Sala and Feifei Li–, and Alba Muñoz Gabella, from the Master’s Degree in Biomedical Research. It was coordinated by professor Enrique Carrasco Correa (Faculty of Chemistry) and the collaboration of professor Andrea Cejudo Garcés (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry).
Onco-PlayFit is the winner idea in the field of Health Sciences and proposes a gamification in child oncology. The proposal wants to offer an interactive experience to motivate, foster the adhesion and follow the progress of physical exercise. It is composed by Silvia Pazos Doménech –student of the degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences–, José Luis Sánchez Jiménez and Clara Carrión González –doctoral students in physiology and Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, respectively–, María Teresa Tormo Alcañiz –doctoral student in Medicine–, and Isabel González Carrión –student of German for Travelling at La Nau Gran. This project was coordinated by professor Inmaculada Aparicio Aparicio (Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences) and the collaboration of Julia Balaguer Guill (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry), José Ignacio *Priego Quesada (Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences) and Carlos Sendra Pérez (Faculty of Physiotherapy).
NONOMAS –awarded in the field of Social and Legal Sciences–, proposes a network of smart containers for the management of dog waste based on a system of economic incentives. An innovative way of fostering responsible behaviour and maintaining public spaces cleaner. Coordinated by professor Emilio Iranzo García –Faculty of Geography and History–, the team is composed by the following students: Asier Cilleruelo Vidal –degree in Law–, Noelia López Polo –degree in Chemistry–, and Francisco Mateo Vásquez Calderón –degree in Optics and Optometry.
The award-winning idea in the field of Arts and Humanties is Valentag. Valentag proposes an app that turns the city of València into an interactive experience. Through the scan of NFC tags, the app shows historical curiosities with TikTok videos, in different languages, and promotes a local trade with a reward system. This idea is developed by the students of the degree in Modern Languages and Literatures: Adriana Baixauli Hernández, Aitana Chaqués Antón, Javier Sánchez Nicolau, Aitana Sorní García; and José Manuel Alonso Bargues –student of French for Travelling at La Nau Gran. This idea was coordinated by professor Cinta Gallent Torres (Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication), and the collaboration of teachers David Bayona Cuallado (Faculty of Economics), Ana Isabel Martínez Hernández (Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication), Paloma Marín Vivanco (Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry).
In his intervention, the principal of the Universitat de València –Juan Luis Gandía–, underlined the importance of MOTIVEM as an experience that allows students to confirm that university knowledge can go beyond the limits of every discipline and to be useful for society. In addition, he highlighted the continuity achieved by the programme through the years and its contribution to train people capable of responding to social challenges. “Proposing is not only having an idea, but also learning to command thought, work in teams and transforming knowledge into solutions. Although it is not always reflected on the academic record, the experience of MOTIVEM leaves a mark that accompanies students in their personal and professional path”, he indicated.
The vice-rector for Students, Educational Transformation and Permanent Training, and director of MOTIVEM –Rosa Maria Bo–, took stock of the initiative that, since its creation, involved more than 6.600 students and generated almost 1.900 innovative ideas. Bo underlined that MOTIVEM “represents the capacity of our students to create innovative responses to the challenges of their environment” and highlighted that the value of the programme goes beyond the awarded projects. “Participants receive training, personalised tutoring, and the opportunity to present and defend their proposals in a real environment.
The important thing is to learn to detect a necessity, work in teams and build a solution. I hope this award is not an endpoint, but a boost to continue changing society”, she stated. The vice-rector also appreciated the involvement of all the professors who participated and of the MOTIVEM Academic Council.
The 15 finalist ideas, selected among the 159 presented in all the centres of the Universitat de València, were developed by multidisciplinary teams of students, coordinated by professors trained in the Escola MOTIVEM.
The ceremony was conducted by Manoli Pardo, professor from MOTIVEM, secretary from the MOTIVEM Academic Council, and director of the Escola MOTIVEM, and Héctor González, former student from MOTIVEM and finalist of the last edition. Members of the jury, as well as representatives of the collaborative institutions, also took part of it.
The president of ADEIT –Ángela Pérez–, highlighted the role of the Universitat de València as a space where the generation of knowledge, training and boost for entrepreneurship converge. Pérez reminded the attendants that a significant part of students will develop their own projects through their professional life, and she encouraged the teams to continue developing their initiatives. “I hope we could see more of these ideas transferred to society and turned into real solutions”, she emphasised.
