Igone Vélez receives the Career Achievement Award at the BRTA Awards

Last Monday, Barakaldo hosted the BRTA Awards ceremony, an annual event that recognizes research excellence within the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), of which Ceit is a member.

The awards ceremony was attended by a prominent institutional delegation led by Lehendakari Imanol Pradales. Also present were the Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi; the Minister of Science, Universities and Innovation, Juan Ignacio Pérez; the Deputy Minister of Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Jaione Ganzarain; and the Director General of BRTA, Rikardo Bueno. The event celebrates the efforts of individuals who dedicate their work to research, development, and technology transfer within BRTA member centers.

In this context, Igone Vélez, a researcher at Ceit and Director of its ICT Division, received the Career Achievement Award, recognizing her long and successful professional career.

“Receiving this award has been a great joy and, above all, an honor. It is a recognition that moves me because it reflects many years of work, continuous learning, and collaboration with exceptional people. I feel it is a shared award with everyone I’ve worked with during my 25 years at Ceit. It also motivates me to continue with the same enthusiasm and commitment to contributing, through applied research, to improving the competitiveness of the Basque business fabric,” said Igone.

Alongside Igone, five other researchers were also awarded. In the career achievement category, Montserrat Casas Cabanas (CIC energiGUNE) and Maurizio Prato (CIC biomaGUNE) were recognized. In the Emerging Researcher category, the awards went to Nerea Aranjuelo Ansa (Vicomtech), Irune Agirre Troncoso (Ikerlan), and Aroa Ramos Mainar (Cidetec).