University-Society Collaboration Award

The business Dacsa, leaded by Araceli Císcar, has received the University-Society Collaboration Award for its relation to the Universitat de València through various programmes and initiatives. Founded in 1968 as a family business producing corn grits for the brewing industry, it is now a benchmark in its sector at European level and supplies a full range of products derived from rice and corn. Dacsa, which is part of the University-Business Foundation Patronage since 2013, collaborates with the Universitat de València through various innovation, internship and entrepreneurship programmes. It has developed joint research projects and contracts with the Universitat de València with a business volume of almost 370,000 euros. Furthermore, it participates in the Entrepreneurship Excellence and Development Chair of the Universitat de València.

Alumni Plus «Insigne UV» Award

The Alumni Plus «Insigne UV» Award has been given to the entrepreneur and researcher Damià Tormo. Damià Tormo, graduate on biological sciences of the Universitat de València and former student of the Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences of the Universitat de València, is a managing partner and co-founder of Columbus Venture Partners. Over the last 15 years, he has worked on the biopharmaceutical and healthy industry. Artax Biopharma Inc, Bioncotech Therapeutics SL, Restaura Biotech SL or PTS are some of the biotechnological industries he has founded over the last years. Furthermore, Damià Tormo is president and trustee of Fundación Columbus, a foundation that facilitates the access to the most advanced therapies for children with cancer and ultra-rare monogenic diseases. It has received awards related to innovation and entrepreneurship, including the TR35 by the MIT, the Biogen Foundation Award or the Princess of Girona Foundation Award.

Innovation Award

The Cellular Physiopathology Unity of the Universitat de València (UFC) has been given the Innovation Award, aimed at recognising innovation or R&D projects with clear and relevant applications to society. Coordinated by full university professor José Mª Estrela and comprised of doctors Elena Obrador, Rosario Salvador and Soraya Vallés, this unit is focused on the study of the defence mechanisms of cancer cells and the design of therapeutic strategies to sensitize them to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. With more than 200 articles published in international magazines, the work of this unit demonstrates the anticancer effects of natural polyphenols and their therapeutic use in halting the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and reducing the deleterious effects of radiotherapy. This unit has registered 10 international patent filings and has created two biotechnology spin offs: Green Molecular SL, dedicated to the development of biomedical applications of polyphenols; and Scientia BioTech SL, who works in the development of ALS and cancer treatments.

Digital Humanism Award

The new Digital Humanism modality, created in order to reward the usage of digital technologies in relevant, innovative and original ways by the university community, has been given to the XatUV project. XatUV is a new user service channel of the Universitat de València, promoted by the Communication Area of the Universitat de València, which was born to offer synchronous attention to students, graduates and future students in a pandemic context. The hybrid nature of this service is one of its most important characteristics, since it combines an initial attention through a Bot and a personalised and multilingual attention through an online network of specialised agents.

Teaching Excellence Award                                           

Finally, the Teaching Excellence Award has been given to the Procedural Law professor of the Universitat de València Alicia Armegot who, according to the jury that has assessed her merits, fulfils in an outstanding way all the criteria foreseen in the basis of the awards and that determine an excellent trajectory and performance in the field of university teaching.