ICAI shows its tech might at European Researchers’ Night

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The Comillas ICAI School of Engineering once again participated in European Researchers’ Night, devoted to the energy transition, in this edition, under the theme “Roadmap Towards a Green Europe”. Attendees, numbering approximately one hundred, were able to participate in presentations and demonstrations by the different Chairs at Comillas ICAI, having the School of Engineering laboratories as a backdrop.

After the welcome remarks given by the Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs at the time, Mariano Ventosa, the attendees were offered the inaugural lecture "The Future of Energy", by Professor Pedro Linares (BP Chair for Technology and Sustainability). He reminded the audience of the inevitabe nature of the energy transition, which must take place in order to guarantee a sustainable planet. In addition, Professor Linares explained to participants that the most developed regions of the planet, Europe and North America, must achieve carbon neutrality - that is to say – they must remove as much carbon dioxide as that which is emitted – by the year 2050, if we hope to prevent climate change from having irreversible consequences.

Following the lecture, participants were invited to visit the laboratories of the different Chairs. Álvaro López, Chair for Smart Industry, demonstrated the use and operation of an Industrial robotic arm in the Electrical Engineering Laboratory. The participants expressed interest in the applications of this technology, both in Industry and in the Research carried out by the Chair.

Rafael Cossent, Chair of Hydrogen Studies, demonstrated a new vehicle, the Toyota Mirai, powered solely by hydrogen, in the courtyard of the ICAI School of Engineering. Cossent explained the procedure for refueling this type of vehicle, and highlighted its low level of pollution: only water is emitted from engine condensation.

José Ignacio Linares, Repsol Foundation for Energy Transition Chair, and Eva Arenas, Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies, presented their work to attendees, in the Fluids and Heat Laboratroy, on the efficient conversion of energy, and spoke on new technologies that allow us to delve into renewable energy sources.

During the session for the Chair for the Training of Women in STEM Vocations in Vocational Training for Sustainable Mobility, the student participant, Ignacio Gómez-Cambronero, reported on the fact that there are few students from vocational training studies and university studies who choose STEM studies. And among the students who do opt for these studies, very few are women. Precisely the objective of the Chair is to promote and encourage more and more students to choose this type of studies. One example of how to encourage students to get involved in these areas is the ICAI Technological Campus, which has taken place 8 times and has seen more than 8500 participants in these over the past 8 years.

The ISC Racing Team, of the ICAI Speed Club, also demonstrated its prototype for motorcycle competitions, where they are working on establishing a balance between the use of electric motors and competitiveness on the track.

The activities for European Researchers’ Night in Madrid were coordinated by the “Madri + d Foundation”, with funding from the European Union, within Horizon 2020 for Research and Innovation, under Grant Agreement Number 101036010.

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