- Xavier Moya receives the SRUK Emerging Talent Award in London.
- Moya, a Royal Society Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, is an inspiring reference for his ground-breaking contributions in the field of materials science and environmental sustainability.
- This initiative from the Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK and Banco Santander Foundation aims to support young talent and to encourage commitment from institutions and companies to ultimately promote collaborations between countries.
London, 14th December 2017. The Emerging Talent Award from the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK) and Banco Santander Foundation has been delivered today in London to Dr Xavier Moya (Barcelona, 1981) for his outstanding academic career in materials science, focused on the development of novel “mechanocaloric” materials, which have great potential for the development of environmentally friendly refrigeration systems. The event, held at the Spanish Embassy in London was opened by His Excellency Mr. Carlos Bastarrache Sagües, Ambassador of Spain in the United Kingdom. Mr. Antonio Escámez, President of the Banco Santander Foundation and Javier San Félix, deputy director of Banco Santander in the United Kingdom, accompanied by Dr. Estrella Luna-Díez, SRUK president, presented the award to Dr. Moya. The prize consists in a sculpture made by the artist Cristina Iglesias and £14,000 prize to help in the development of the awardee’s career.
This Award, which celebrates its second edition, is the result of the collaboration of SRUK and the Banco Santander Foundation. It aims to support young Spanish researchers who develop exceptional jobs in British research centers. In the words of Luna-Díez, president of SRUK “It is an honour for us to give this award to Dr. Moya as it completely reflects on the extraordinary talent of our members. In addition, this award consolidates the full commitment of SRUK in supporting the professional development of young researchers with an outstanding research career such as Moya’s”.
Antonio Escámez, president of the Banco Santander Foundation highlighted Xavier Moya’s recognitions, which make him a reference of Spanish and international science, and most importantly, his research is vital for the harmonious fusion of our civilization and the environment”. Escámez hopes that “Moya’s example will inspire many other Spanish researchers to follow their dreams across countries, as knowledge can be freely transferred from one place to another.” Javier San Félix, deputy director of Banco Santander UK, remarked the commitment of Banco Santander with the recognition of the work of Spanish researches in the United Kingdom, with Moya’s trajectory as an example”.
After receiving the award, Moya, a Royal Society Research Fellow at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge, has reviewed his career in the area of materials science and environmental sustainability, as well as the steps that have taken him up to the position as a world reference in its field. In relation to the impact that the Emerging Talent Award will have on his career, the researcher has highlighted: “I am delighted to receive the 2017 Emerging Talent Award by the SRUK and the Banco Santander Foundation, and truly honoured to join the group of outstanding researchers who have been recipients of this Award in the past. The Award will allow me to develop a new advanced experimental facility to explore novel barocaloric materials for energy-efficient refrigeration applications”.
According to Prof. Alfonso Martínez-Arias, chair of the designated scientific committee “Xavier Moya’s research helps to address global challenges of great environmental importance”. In addition, “in an area of extremely competitive research, Moya’s achievements stand out in his field as original and with well tested contributions”. Moya received his PhD in Physics from the University of Barcelona in 2008. After an outstanding postdoctoral period in Cambridge, he started his own research group in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy with only 32 years. He has published more than seventy articles in the most important journals in his field. In 2016, he obtained one of the prestigious grants from the European Research Council to support his research, and received the Award for Novel Researchers by the Spanish Royal Society of Physics.
