- The Joint Committee of the Chair has given the green light for the budget for this fiscal year and approve last year's report on activities
- A new designation was approved: Fundación Cepsa Chair of Ecological Transition and Innovation of the University of La Laguna
- The launch of the Fundación Cepsa-ULL workshop classroom, a conference on the ecological transition, the Alumno 10C training program and the implementation of a sustainability volunteer program, among the most notable changes.
During the first meeting of the year of its Joint Commission, which was held recently, it was agreed to modify the name of the Chair (formerly Innovation and Energy Efficiency). The budget for this year was approved with a program of actions presented by the Chair's director, Andrea Brito, who also presented the report of the activities carried out in 2020. Additionally, the incorporation of Cepsa's R&D Director, Rafael Larraz, as a member of the Commission comprising the academic institution and the Fundación Cepsa was also approved.
As part of the extensive program of activities planned for 2021, the Chair will promote the creation of the Fundación Cepsa-ULL Workshop Classroom, a space to carry out simulations of real situations in different processes and training activities, including the recording of courses known as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).
Research projects of interest to Cepsa will also be undertaken, such as simulating processes using computer programs and analyzing the energy efficiency of processes. Additionally, the activities of the first industrial doctorate of this Chair will continue, and the second doctorate of the ULL, started in 2020 and focused on obtaining biofuels by processing waste oils and fats in hydrotreating units, focused on preparing new catalysts. In this case, it will provide the selected PhD student with a stay at the Cepsa Research Center to perform part of the experiments.
This year, a working group will also be created to prepare a publication on how to incorporate the circular economy and the ecological transition into society's daily life.
At the same time, the second edition of the Awards for the best Master's and Bachelor's Degree Final Projects of this Chair will be held, which aim to recognize and promote the research of students and disseminate their work.
Several workshops will bring together working groups from Cepsa and the University of La Laguna throughout the year to generate synergies.
Training and outreach
In the area of training and dissemination, this year we will promote a conference for students, teachers, and professionals on issues related to the ecological transition, which the other Fundación Cepsa Chairs in Andalusia and Madrid will be invited to participate in. The Chair will also participate in seminars organized by these institutions on oil refining, lubricants, and hydrocarbons.
As a clear example of the importance that this Chair attaches to training, the Alumno 10C Program will be launched, originating from the Fundación Cepsa Chair at the University of Huelva, focused on skills training and coaching for ULL students, as well as a course on Big Data neural networks for Cepsa and University of La Laguna personnel.
In addition to this, there will be an internship program and the launch of a volunteer program in sustainability, energy efficiency, and ecological transition designed for both students and faculty.
This year, two training sessions will also be organized: the first, scheduled for June, will focus on the ecological transformation, and the second, starting in September, will be on energy efficiency and circular economy.
The director of the Chair also announced two master classes for professionals at Cepsa and the ULL, one of them on research projects at Cepsa, and the other on alternative energy sources for a sustainable circular economy.
Andrea Brito also highlighted the continuity of the collaboration with the Teidesat project, aimed at designing, manufacturing, putting into orbit, and operating a nanosatellite which is expected to begin the construction phase this year. She also emphasized the progress of the Lora project, aimed at bringing the Internet of Things to educational centers. It is expected to make great progress this year after reaching 10 percent of its objectives in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
Finally, the Joint Commission's first meeting of the year raised the possibility of collaborating with initiatives of interest, such as the Antonio González Scientific Week, or the ESIT Engineering Technical Seminars, to the extent that they can be carried out.