Naturgy Foundation and the Spanish National Research Council partner to recognise research and innovation in the energy field

The Naturgy Foundation has launched the first Naturgy Foundation Award for Research and Technological Innovation in the Energy Field, which will award 100,000 euros to the best Spanish project developed by research groups affiliated to public or private non-profit organisations. This latest award initiative has the support and recognition of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), which will evaluate the candidates.

The participating entities have signed an agreement to partner in this latest Naturgy Foundation initiative, the aim of which is to focus on innovation as one of the main lines of the energy transition, and to advance in the decarbonisation of the economy in our country.

The CSIC will coordinate the scientific evaluation committee of the projects submitted in this first edition of the award, the call for which will be open from 1 February 2023 until March 31. A prestigious jury will announce the winner of the award in June.

CSIC Chairman Eloísa del Pino said that “this partnership signifies progress in promoting vital research to face the challenges of the energy transition. The Naturgy Foundation is a major players in the advance towards the new energy model, and its projects to support society are aligned with CSIC objectives. I am sure that the protocol we have signed today will lead to future collaborations in the field of energy transition and will serve as an example for new alliances”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Naturgy Foundation, Rafael Villaseca, expressed his enormous satisfaction with the partnership with CSIC, “which facilitates the promotion of research and scientific development in the field of energy with full guarantees. This latest Naturgy Foundation initiative will mean more actions to speed up the energy transition and reach net zero emissions in Spain and the EU”, explained the president to the energy company foundation.

Unpublished projects and a prestigious jury

This new award, which will be awarded annually, is aimed at projects developed by public or private, non-profit research organisations, including public and private universities (registered in the Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees) and other R+D+I centres. They must be groups engaged in pure research or experimental development, and that are legal entities and tax residents in Spain.

The candidates must be innovated, unpublished projects, or ongoing or recently-completed research, with great potential to be incorporated into the market or generate value in society. The research projects entered in the programme must address the following aspects of technological innovation in the energy field: efficiency, security of supply, renewable resources, and the environment.

The jury for the award will be made up of María Benjumea, founder of Spain Startup and of the International Women’s Forum Spain; Eloísa del Pino, president of CSIC; Mariano Marzo, emeritus professor of the Universitat de Barcelona and head of the Chair for Energy Transition at the same university; and Diego Pavía, founder and CEO of KIC InnoEnergy.  Jorge Barredo, Naturgy’s managing director of Renewables, New Business and Innovation, and María Eugenia Coronado, managing director of the Naturgy Foundation will also serve on the jury.

Projects can be submitted through the Naturgy Foundation Website and the winning project will be announced at the ceremony in June.