Six social innovation projects awarded in the fifth edition of the Eines Awards

The local projects that won awards were Índigo, an accessible technological tool that allows educational materials to be personalised for students with special needs; Refugi, an initiative that promotes therapeutic spaces for young people with mental health problems through artistic interventions in nature; and Teixim Vincles, which develops a comprehensive strategy for sex education in schools, with training for teachers and educational continuity. These projects were developed respectively in Cerdanyola, Mollet and Montornès del Vallès, and all three received a grant of 2,500 euros.

Winners of the county awards were La Crida Edison, a project from Vallès Oriental that boosts local cinema as a space for training, cultural participation, and youth development in the audiovisual field; and BoscEscola, a project from Vallès Occidental that transforms the children's educational model through outdoor classrooms in natural environments, promoting experiential learning. The project that won the award at national level was Etika Bikes, which promotes the local and sustainable production of bamboo bicycles, linking urban mobility, innovation and responsible tourism. All three received a grant of 4,000 euros.

In his speech, Rector Lafuente recalled that this award ceremony, which took place for the first time in Cerdanyola del Vallès, is part of the UAB's Innovation Week. He thanked the work carried out by CREIS in promoting and organising these awards and highlighted the UAB's collaboration with public administrations in promoting social innovation: according to him, the UAB wants to be a "driving force of change" in the region and, in this sense, "the city councils are our main allies in bringing the university closer to citizens."

The mayor of Cerdanyola del Vallès, Carlos Cordón, also spoke, congratulating his city on hosting this ceremony for the first time, as well as the synergies between the municipality and the UAB. Raúl Moreno, Secretary General of Social Rights and Inclusion of the Government of Catalonia, praised the role of innovation in achieving "effective policies that reach citizens". And Xavier Garcés, president of the Vallès Occidental County Council, assessed that this project is an example of "joint work by the public sector to launch projects for the benefit of citizens".

The event also included the presentation of the 2025 Yearbook of Entrepreneurship, Economy and Social Innovation, which was given by Santiago Giraldo, lecturer at the Department of Journalism and Communication Studies at the UAB, and the conference "Agricultural cooperativism in Catalonia: an example of commitment to the land and people", which was given by Josep Lluís Bosque, head of the Representation Unit of the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia.