The AtlanTTic researcher Fernando Pérez receives the Enxeño Award for Excellence in Telecommunications Research and Technology Transfer to Industry

The Official College of Telecommunications Technical Engineers of Galicia has just awarded one of the 2024 Enxeño Prizes to Fernando Pérez, Professor of Signal Theory and Communications at the University of Vigo and researcher at AtlanTTic, centre part of the CIGUS Network, an initiative promoted by the Xunta de Galicia, that brings together centers accredited for their scientific excellence. The award was presented during an event held on Friday night in Lugo. Professor Pérez received the prize in the category of Excellence in Telecommunications Research and Technology Transfer to Industry.

These awards recognize the careers of professionals and organizations in the telecommunications field and were presented during the fifth edition of the ForoTelecos of Galicia, an event described by the Official College as an excellent barometer for assessing advancements, projects, expectations, and the current state of the sector.

The UVigo professor expressed his gratitude for the distinction, noting that “it is always exciting to receive an award,” and adding that “it is even more meaningful when it is granted by professionals in our field, as they are the best judges of a career.” However, as he highlighted during his speech, “I already felt like a winner, as in previous editions this award was won by entities such as Optare and the Gradiant technology center, which I helped establish; brilliant former students like Samuel Fernández Menduiña and Alfonso Álvarez Villamarín; the company Televés, with which I have collaborated for more than 25 years; and the School of Telecommunications Engineering of Vigo, where I have been teaching for more than 30 years.”

In addition to Pérez, other recipients of the Enxeño Prize included Alberto Prieto, Technical Director of Tredess, for his career in innovation and R&D in the electronics industry; María Xosé Miguéns, B2B Key Accounts Manager at R Cable MásOrange, for her expertise in commercial strategy and team management in telecommunications; Ignacio Otero, Deputy Director-General of Engineering and Planning for Radio, TV, and Multimedia of the Xunta de Galicia, for his institutional contributions in public telecommunications administration; and Iván Castro, CTO of Estrella Galicia, named Member of the Year for his work in technological transformation within large companies.

The awards ceremony marked the conclusion of the fifth edition of ForoTelecos, where experts from the field gathered to discuss current issues facing the sector in a region characterized by a dispersed population and extensive rural areas. Among other topics, the functionality of current telecommunications networks (mobile, fiber, Tetra, etc.) in disaster situations was debated, along with the autonomous government’s dedicated digital radio network for providing coverage to emergency services.