The projects, led mostly by women, will receive 3,000 euros for their development and one of them, 3,500 euros for a real-time wireless communication platform.
Málaga TechPark, through its Director of Communication, Innovation and Institutional Relations, Natalia Pérez, has been a member of the jury for these awards.
The awards ceremony took place in the Link by UMA-Atech space, in a ceremony presided over by the rector, Teodomiro López Navarrete, that has counted on the presence of the general director of Málaga TechPark, Felipe Romera.
A high-performance “Stewart” platform development system, which presents an innovative model based on distributed control and real-time wireless communication, is the project that has received the most funding in the Spin-Off Competition of the University of Málaga.
This is the “Precision Oriented Design” project, led by Alba Correal Olmo, which received the University of Málaga Prize, with 3,500 euros, in the category of students/graduates. The platform has applications in a wide range of sectors – from nanotechnology to space, until medicine and telecommunications.
Alba Correal receives the award from the rector
The UMA Spin-Off competition, whose objective is to reward companies created within the academic institution, celebrates its 28th edition this year and, for the first time, a majority of the winners have been women. Ten companies have been distinguished, with different cash prizes – 9 prizes of 3,000 and another one of 3,500 euros – as well as a year in a Link by UMA incubation office, a training plan, a mentoring project and a communication plan.
The presentation of the Spin-Off awards of the University of Málaga took place in the Link by UMA-Atech space, in a ceremony presided over by the rector, Teodomiro López Navarrete; accompanied, among others, by Juan Carlos Rubio, the vice-rector for Students, Employability and Entrepreneurship; Felipe Romera, the general director of Málaga TechPark; Carmen Pardo, the assistant vice-rector for Entrepreneurship and Scholarships; Antonio Peñafiel, director of Employability and Entrepreneurship of the UMA, and representatives of the collaborating entities.
A total of 31 projects were submitted to the 28th edition of the competition (7 in the PDI/Research Group category and 24 in the Student/Graduate category), covering the areas of Information and Communication Technologies, Production Technologies, Biotechnology, Communication/Advertising/Tourism, Humanities and Consultancy, among other activities and services. Málaga TechPark, through its Director of Communication, Innovation and Institutional Relations, Natalia Pérez, has been a member of the jury of these awards.
Objective
The aim of the Spin-Off competition is to encourage the entrepreneurial activity of university students in Málaga, promoting the conception and consolidation of ideas with the potential to become companies based on knowledge and scientific and technological advances produced at the University.
Teodomiro López thanked all the students and researchers for their participation, as well as the patronage of the companies and institutions that make the development of these awards possible. Furthermore, as this is the first time he has presided over this event, he said he was very proud, “because it represents the staging of one of the commitments that the University has with the society, which is none other than the contribution to its socio-economic development through the promotion and support of the creation of companies.”
In addition to the economic endowment, the distinguished projects will receive the following prizes:
– A one-year incubation period in an office of the Business Project Incubator of Espacio LINK by UMA-ATech.
– A training plan aimed at the development of the business idea by the promoter team.
– A mentoring plan that will allow the projects to have the advice of mentors specialised in different aspects of interest for the validation of the project in the market.
– A communication plan for the activity of the project/company in order to facilitate the visibility of the projects and improve their positioning in the market.
Awards
PDI/Research Group Category
-PROMÁLAGA AWARD, endowed with 3,000 €, to the project:
Albor Space Systems. Innovative company dedicated to the development and commercialisation of low-cost communications satellites, designed to be generic and adaptable to any communications solution. Using commercial off-the-shelf technologies and software-defined radio, Albor Space aims to offer a flexible and cost-effective solution for a communications-oriented satellite that can be quickly adapted to a customer’s particular needs with minimal hardware modifications. The award was collected by Francisco Muro.
– CÁTEDRA SANTANDER DE EMPRESA FAMILIAR DE LA UMA AWARD. 3,000 euros to the project:
EduScape. It proposes an innovative initiative in the field of education based on gamification, specifically in the creation and development of educational ScapE RooMs, with the aim of motivating students and making classes more interesting, using games and creativity as the pillars of a new style of meaningful learning. The award was collected by María del Mar López.
– REBS AWARD, endowed with 3,000 euros, to the project:
Adapt-IA Vida. The project proposes the design and development of an App-web that verifies the degree of adaptation of a home to the specific needs of its users. ADAPT-IA VIDA will offer personalised advice through AI, addressing technical, legal and social aspects of accessibility and safety in housing. The award was collected by María Luisa Gómez.
Students / Graduates Category
– IMPACT HUB MÁLAGA AWARD, endowed with 3,000 euros, to the project:
Comienzos-building life skills. Comienzos will offer psychoeducational and therapeutic services aimed primarily at adolescents and young adults, as well as their families, with the aim of providing them with the psychoeducation and social support they need at this critical stage. The award was collected by Laura Bernal.
– CAJASUR FOUNDATION AWARD, endowed with 3,000 euros to the project:
Familiones. This project offers advice and training for parents with a comprehensive approach that aims to make the transition to parenthood as smooth and enriching as possible, providing parents with the necessary confidence and knowledge. The award was collected by Paloma Zanón.
– INSTITUTO MUNICIPAL PARA LA FORMACIÓN Y EL EMPLEO AWARD, endowed with 3.,000 euros, to the project:
Roomate Community. A free platform dedicated exclusively to university students to help them select profiles of like-minded roommates in student flats. The CarMate section, dedicated to promoting collective transport among university students, and the NoteMate section, a virtual space where university students can earn money by uploading their notes and downloading those of their classmates for free. The award was collected by Manuel Luque.
– FUNDACIÓN UNICAJA AWARD, endowed with 3,000 euros, to the project:
SunDrop. It is an innovative system capable of collecting rainwater, condensing atmospheric humidity and producing electrical energy in a totally sustainable way for subsequent storage and use in different environments. The award was collected by Natalia Martínez.
– EXCMA. DIPUTACIÓN PROVINCIAL DE MÁLAGA AWARD, endowed with 3,000 euros, to the project:
Sirenic Editorial. Its aim is to make comics accessible to the visually impaired and thus make them participants in this medium on the rise, through an audio-comic format, developed by professionals who meet the needs of this group to offer an experience as similar as possible to conventional reading. The award was collected by Julia Utrera.
– BANCO SANTANDER UNIVERSITIES AWARD, endowed with 3,000 euros, to the project:
Stardust. Integral platform for the development of audiovisual productions (theatre, cinema, television and advertising), encompassing both the management and the search for personnel, focused on casting agencies, artists and professionals who offer services in these sectors. The award was collected by Juan Carlos Carrasco.
– UNIVERSITY OF MÁLAGA AWARD, endowed with 3,500 euros, to the project:
Precision Oriented Design. Development of high-performance Stewart platforms, with applications in a wide range of sectors, from nanotechnology to space, until medicine and telecommunications. This solution presents an innovative platform model based on distributed control and real-time wireless communication. The award was collected by Alba Correal.
In his speech, the Rector recalled that when this programme was launched in 1997, only a few Spanish universities were talking about business creation. “Today, however, the creation of companies in universities has become an increasingly representative activity and the University of Málaga has become a real benchmark in this area.”
In his opinion, universities must actively contribute to the development of their productive environment, and the creation of companies from the University, as a mechanism for the transfer of technology and knowledge, “is one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal.” For this reason, he has pointed out that “the creation of the new Vice-Rector’s Office for Students, Employability and Entrepreneurship should contribute to this, bringing students closer to the field of employment and the creation of entrepreneurial projects.”