Ambassador José Pascual Marco welcomed the Spanish researchers and praised their work in the UK as one of the most valuable links between the two countries. Carlos Soler, president of CERU, the association of Spanish scientists in the UK, emphasized the importance of the Award, which this year celebrates its tenth celebration. Raimundo Pérez-Hernández, director of the Areces Foundation, sent a message recalling the creation of the Award and his institution's continued support for the Spanish scientific community abroad. The Presidents of CERU at the time of the Award's creation, Eduardo Oliver and María Jiménez, spoke about the importance of the prize and expressed their gratitude for the continued support given to promoting young talent over the years.
Also participating in the event were Rodrigo Echenique, President of the Banco Santander Foundation; Borja Baselga, Director of the Santander Foundation; José María Robles Fraga, Counsellor for Cultural and Scientific Affairs at the Embassy; and Izaskun Lacunza, Director of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT).
The CERU 2025 Emerging Talent Award was presented to Dr. Jesús Lizana in recognition of his research at Oxford University on construction and insulation methods that reduce emissions and eliminate unnecessary energy consumption, contributing to the fight against climate change.