The “Rei Jaume I” 2024 prize in Fundamental Science
ICREA Prof at ICFO Antonio Acín recognized for revolutionary theoretical contributions in the field of quantum information
The Rei Jaume I Prizes were created in 1989 with the aim of bringing science and business together to promote research, scientific development and entrepreneurship in Spain.
These awards recognize people whose work is highly significant and has been developed mostly in Spain. The prizes are awarded annually, and each winner receives a gold medal, a diploma and 100,000 euros. On receiving this economic endowment, they undertake to reinvest part of the amount in research and entrepreneurship in Spain.
The juries, convened each year to decide the winners, are made up of leading personalities in science and business from all over the world. More than 63 Nobel laureates have served on these juries, with 20 participating in the 2024 edition, where a total of 232 candidatures were presented for the seven prizes awarded in the categories of Basic Research, Economics, Biomedical Research, Clinical Research and Public Health, Protection of the Environment, New Technologies and Entrepreneurship.
The awardees were announced on June 4th at ceremony held at the Palau de la Generalitat de Valencia, attended by the Valencian Foundation of the Rei Jaume I Awards, the awards juries, as well as representatives of the award collaborators.
ICREA Professor at ICFO, Antonio Acín, leader of the Quantum Information Theory group, was named the awardee of the prize for Basic Research “for his revolutionary theoretical contributions in the field of quantum information, for example, the certification of random numbers of great relevance for the development of quantum communication.” Prof. Acín, thrilled with the award, stated, “I am humbled to be associated with this prestigious prize and the renowned scientists who have come before me. It is not only a badge of honor, it also represents an opportunity to strengthen our talented group, attracting creative and ambitious researchers to join us in our exciting work.”
The winners in the other six categories are as follows:
- Economics: Francisco Pérez, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas
- Biomedical research: Xavier Trepat, Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña (IBEC)
- Environmental Protection: Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano, Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC
- New Technologies: Luis Serrano, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
- Entrepreneurship: Victor Amarnani, A4B Group Corp
- Clinical Research and Public Health: Jordi Sunyer, ISGlobal
ICFOnians congratulate all of the 2024 awardees on this prestigious recognition.