A recognition of young talent in industrial engineering.

The ninth edition of the Acerinox Award, organised by Cedinox, was held on June 24, 2025 at Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), during an institutional event preceded by a visit to the school's laboratories, highlighting academic excellence and technological innovation. The event was opened by Berta Gámez Mejías, Secretary General of the UPM, who welcomed the attendees and introduced the speakers.

The CEO of Acerinox, Bernardo Velázquez Herreros, began the round of speeches by emphasising the valuable alliance between the company and the university as an engine for innovation and talent development. He highlighted how this collaboration promotes new advances in the use of stainless steel, allowing its evolution and adaptation to current technological needs. Sergio Domínguez Cabrerizo, Director of the ETSII, underlined the role of the university as a driver of knowledge and technology transfer.

Francisco Cordovilla, who, along with Marcos Díaz, was one of the tutors of the winning project spoke next. His speech focused on the challenges and opportunities of the use of stainless steel in additive manufacturing technologies with high mass contribution. His presentation served as an introduction to the winning project, presented by Alba González Oviaño, a student of Industrial Engineering at the UPM.

Alba's work, entitled “Caracterización microestructural y mecánica de componentes de acero AISI 316L conformados mediante la técnica de deposición dirigida de energía por láser y estudio de la viabilidad de la técnica LSP para la mejora de sus propiedades” was distinguished for its scientific rigour and its practical application in the field of advanced manufacturing processes. The author explained in detail the methodology used and the results obtained, focusing on the improvement of the properties of stainless steel using laser techniques.

Following her presentation, Mª de la Cruz Díaz Álvarez, President of the Spanish Institute of Engineering and President of the jury of the Acerinox Award, emphasised the high quality of the projects submitteded and the key role of the award in the promotion of applied research.

The central moment of the event was the presentation of the award to Alba González by Bernardo Velázquez, in the presence of all the members of the table. The event concluded with a closing speech by Berta Gámez Mejías and the traditional group photograph. 

As a finale, an aperitif was offered in the Engine Room of the ETSII, where attendees had the opportunity  to share impressions in a relaxed atmosphere.