CiTIUS receives the Special CPEIG Award

The Research Centre on Intelligent Technologies of the University of Santiago de Compostela (CiTIUS) owns, since last Friday, the Special Award of the Galician Professional Association of Computer Engineering (CPEIG). The recognition comes to the centre after the gala XVI Noite da Enxeñaría en Informática de Galicia, a ceremony in which the award was granted, and which highlighted the transformative impact of computer science.

The award, collected by the scientific director of CiTIUS, Senén Barro, recognizes the outstanding work of the centre in the organization of the 27th European Congress of Artificial Intelligence (ECAI 2024), the most important meeting in Europe in the field of Artificial Intelligence, and one of the three most prestigious worldwide in the field. The congress, which will be held from 19 to 23 October in Santiago de Compostela, will turn the city and Galicia into a global epicentre of artificial intelligence. 

Award-winning trajectory

Founded in 2012, CiTIUS has established itself as a benchmark in artificial intelligence research in Galicia and at national level. Belonging to the Network of Singular Research Centres of the USC and part of CIGUS (the network of research centres of excellence created by the Xunta de Galicia), the centre stands out for its participation in numerous European projects and its leadership in high-impact initiatives, such as HYBRIDS, NL4XAI and MENELAOS_NT, which address from disinformation detection to the integration of sensory data.

In addition, CiTIUS has been a pioneer in Spain in leading two university-industry chairs in collaboration with the technology companies Plexus Tech and Televés, focused on artificial intelligence applied to personalised medicine and microelectronic design. Likewise, the 'Nós' project —which is currently being developed in collaboration with the Instituto da Lingua Galega (ILG)— is another example of CiTIUS's commitment to technological development in its environment, through the Galician language.

At the centre of the technological discussion

The Noite da Enxeñaría gala, held at the Hotel OCA Puerta del Camino, brought together more than 400 guests, including business, academic and public sector representatives. This event, consolidated as a meeting point for the Galician ICT community, underlines the relevance of the work carried out by IT professionals in the region.

The president of the CPEIG, Fernando Suárez, highlighted the responsibility of computer engineers in guiding the development of artificial intelligence in an ethical and accessible way, and especially praised the role of CiTIUS in this field. "The impact of AI on the modernisation of our businesses and key sectors will be fundamental. We need to face challenges and challenges with an optimistic and proactive vision," Suárez stressed.

The ceremony concluded with a show of 150 drones illuminating the sky of Santiago, as the culmination of a night that will be marked in the calendar for the history of CiTIUS and Galician computing.