This morning, the Assembly Hall of the office of the principal hosted the 3.000€ donation that the Valencian benchmark company in the metal sector, Hierros Játiva, made to the Universitat de València.

This altruistic action was originated after the confinement when the company, Hierros Játiva, together with its suppliers and sales network, decided to sell charity T-shirts to raise funds for COVID-19 research.

The ceremony counted on the presence of M. Dolores Real, vice-principal for Innovation and Transfer; Carlos Hermenegildo, vice-principal for Research; and Fernando Bleda, manager of the company Hierros Játiva, who have staged the donation by handing over a cheque.

In this sense, M. Dolores Real pointed out the importance of university sponsorship, since “as it strengthens the bond between the business world and the university, it is of the utmost importance for the current society”. Thus, she also highlighted “the significance of Science and Innovation in the challenges we are facing due to COVID-19”.

Fernando Bleda has explained that “this initiative rose up after the confinement period. They aimed at contributing and being part of the problem’s solution, and they wanted to provide support that was not merely economical, but social”.

Lastly, Carlos Hermegildo noted that the financial envelope received will be used to improve the protection measures of the researchers at the Universitat. Furthermore, he wanted to express his gratitude to Hierros Játiva and their initiative, “not only for the amount of money involved, but also for the example that this support for research in public universities, and in this case, the Universitat de València, represents for other companies and the society”.