The CAF-Elhuyar awards were presented on Thursday afternoon at the Kutxa Kultur Plaza in Tabakalera (San Sebastián). Under the motto “Leap and create expansive waves”, this award recognized the work of people who strive to socialize science and technology.

This year the jury has had to collect and analyze 71 works, and one of the five awards that have been distributed has reached the region. In the field of scientific journalism, the Tolosa chemist Josu Lopez-Gazpio has won. Before Christmas, he published in the Science Bulletin the damage to health caused by the Christmas holiday.

Lopez-Gazpio has a PhD in chemistry and works extensively on outreach. He is the Minister of Chemistry of the USA, among others, he is a collaborator of the Tolosaldea Portal, reporting on chemistry issues.

The award for the general informative article has been won by the lesbian sisters Alaitz and Iraia Etxabide Etxeberria, with the article entitled Circular Solution against the ubiquitous garbage that is engulfing the world. Alaitz researches solutions to the problem of plastics and has made illustrations for the article she has written.

The prize for the informative article based on the author’s doctoral thesis has been awarded to Miguel Querejeta López, from San Sebastián, with his work Symphony of Black Holes. Querejeta has made his thesis on the interaction between giant black holes and galaxies and is currently researching at the Max Planck Institute of Astrophysics.

Iñaki Odriozola Larrañaga, from Zestoa, has won the Neiker Special Prize for prizes for works in the primary sector, sculpted by herbivores on the Basque Mountain.

The Elhuyar Foundation Board of Trustees awards the Elhuyar Merit Award in recognition of its work in the normalization of the Basque language and the social integration of science. This year Ekaia, with 30 years of experience, has been for the UPV/EHU Science and Technology Magazine.

The CAF-Elhuyar Prize also provides a grant of 5,000 euros to support projects that combine science and society. Bastark! by Ander Gortazar Balmedio from San Sebastián and Jacek Markusiewicz from Poland, who combines reflection and technology on architecture. The project won this year.