- Presentation of the extensive program of activities planned for 2021
- It highlights the continuation of the industrial doctorate, a pioneer in the ULL Chairs.
- The Chair will soon change its name to Ecological Transition and Innovation.
To this end, the rector of the University of La Laguna, Rosa Aguilar, and Fundación Cepsa's head of Corporate Relations for Andalusia and the Canary Islands, Jesús Velasco, recently signed the annual collaboration agreement between the two entities at a meeting held at the Rector's Office of the educational institution. The meeting was also attended by the vice-president of Fundación Cepsa, Íñigo Díaz de Espada, the head of Fundación Cepsa in the Canary Islands, Belén Machado, and the vice-rectors of Research and Transfer and of Culture and Social Participation, Ernesto Pereda and Juan Albino Méndez, respectively, as well as the director of the Chair, Andrea Brito.
This broad set of actions addresses the promotion of research and innovation and training and dissemination, while stipulating collaboration in other types of events and in every action deemed appropriate. The vice-rector of Research and Transfer, Ernesto Pereda, specifically highlighted the commitment of this university chair to industrial doctorates, a model of knowledge transfer to the productive fabric that the academic center profoundly desires to export to other chairs and in which the Fundación Cepsa chair has proved to be a pioneer.
This university chair, directed by Professor Andrea Brito, an expert in biofuels and with an extensive research career, is closely aligned with this objective and, moreover, aim to change its name soon to the Fundación Cepsa Chair of Ecological Transition and Innovation of the University of La Laguna, without changing its type or the type of activities it carries out, but focusing its framework of action on this new field. In fact, the vice-president of Fundación Cepsa, Íñigo Díaz de Espada, stated that "the ecological transition is a matter of the utmost interest for Cepsa and for its Foundation, and today's university students will play a fundamental role in it. Every company must be prepared to resolutely take the step."
Within the research and innovation promotion section, the plan is to continue supporting the awards for the best Bachelor's and Master's Degree Capstone Projects, carry out actions to support the dissemination of the circular economy, and continue supporting the TeideSat project, the first nanosatellite designed primarily by students of the University of La Laguna, and Lorawan, to bring the Internet of Things to students, among other actions.
In terms of education, the chair intends to launch a course on neural networks and participate in specialized seminars on oil refining, lubrication, and lubricants and an introduction to hydrocarbon exploration and production, among other topics. The company also intends to open a sustainability volunteer program and an internship program.
A Cepsa-ULL workshop will also be held to bring together working groups from the two entities, as well as a classroom workshop to simulate real situations in processes involving chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineers with the collaboration of computer engineers. The agenda of actions also includes holding conferences on the ecological transition.
The program also includes an educational plan with several master classes for both energy company and academic institution personnel, given by Cepsa professionals, the ULL, and other companies on research in the world and alternative energy sources for a sustainable circular economy. A course on Big Data neural networks and the '10C Student' cross-disciplinary skills training program complete the 2021 agenda of this university chair.