This important award has been received by Dr. Gonzalo Valdes in representation of the Road Paving Research Group of the Universidad de La Frontera.

At the second edition of the Innovation Awards in Chile, promoted by the Sacyr Foundation - a company from Spain that specializes in the construction and management of infrastructures and services - the Road Paving Research Group (GIPAV) of the Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) was awarded in the regional category.

With their project FIBRA-TYRE, researchers of the UFRO Department of Civil Engineering earned a recognition that seeks to publicly reward initiatives that research and work on innovative, creative and pioneer projects, developments and ideas in the field of infrastructure and related services.

In a ceremony attended by Jose Luis Dominguez, the Deputy Secretary of Transportation in Chile, and Manuel Manrique, the President of Sacyr (among others), Dr. Gonzalo Valdés received this important award on behalf of the Road Paving Research Group.

“This recognition is very important for us, since the award comes from an important international company in the field. That shows us that our work at the UFRO is not only important on the scientific level, but also has great potential in the industry,” Dr. Valdes commented.

The call for this competition was open during the second semester of 2018, with the possibility to present projects in two categories: metropolitan level and regional level.
Both awarded projects (one in each category) received an award and an amount of money that will allow them to continue with the development of the awarded technology, of which no further information can be provided, since the project is still in the process of industrial property protection.

“At the award ceremony, they emphasized the importance of finding and acknowledging the initiatives that contribute to the construction of a more sustainable country, especially with regard to climate change. In other words, they want to find comprehensive developments that contribute to the circular economy, to recycling, valorization, energy efficiency, and other related issues,” Dr. Gonzalo Valdes said. He also appreciates the commitment with which the multidisciplinary group of experts in the field of vial infrastructure and students have been taking forward this project, as well as the support of the Macro Faculty of Engineering and the Technology Transfer Unit of the Universidad de La Frontera.

Written by: Daphne Bormann
UFRO Faculty of Engineering and Science