The Premi Bages de Cultura (Bages Culture Award) 2022, instituted by Òmnium Bages-Moianès, was awarded to scientist Xavier Obradors Berenguer in the Hall of Sessions of the Manresa City Council. On this occasion, the laureate was introduced by a speech by M. Rosa Palacín Peiró, Research Professor at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona and Deputy Director of the centre.

During the event, apart from M. Rosa Palacín and Xavier Obradors' speech, other people were scheduled to speak: the vice-president of Òmnium Bages-Moianès, Jordi Corrons Boix, the director of the Territorial Services of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Francesc Serra Sellarès; the president of the Bages Regional Council, Eloi Hernández Mosella; and the mayor of Manresa, Marc Aloy Guàrdia, who made the closing speech. The event ende with a musical performance by singer-songwriter Cèlia Vila Buchaca.

Speech by M. Rosa Palacín

M. Rosa Palacín Peiró, ICMAB Deputy Director and Research Professor read some words about the awardee, hihlighting his scientific research and achivements, and leadership at ICMAB. Some parts of the speech are as follows: 

"En Xavier Obradors ha tingut una dilatada carrera científica en la que ha destacat, no només per les seves contribucions a generar nou coneixement i noves tecnologies, si no que també ha tingut llum pròpia en moltes altres vessants. Tant en el lideratge que cal tenir per impulsar un centre de recerca d’excel·lència com l’ICMAB, com en d’altres vessants, com la formació d’investigadors joves, la difusió al gran públic dels coneixements científics i com aquests poden resoldre gran reptes de la humanitat (per exemple la transició energètica per aturar la crisi climàtica), la contribució a definir polítiques científiques i sistemes de govern eficients i moderns, la transferència de coneixement a la industria i la promoció de l’emprenedoria." 

M. Rosa Palacín giving her speech | Ajuntament de Manresa

Speech by Xavier Obradors

Next, Xavier Obradors gave a speech of appreciation, which you can read here. In his speech, he acknowledged the help and support from his family, his parents, his wife and two daughters, and of his colleagues from ICMAB, especially those from his research group. We reproduce here some parts of the speech:

Xavier Obradors giving the acknowledgements speech | Ajuntament de Manresa

Xavier Obradors with the award at the Manresa City Council | Ajuntament de Manresa

"Ja per acabar, no em puc resistir a mencionar que jo ja vaig estar present a aquesta sala l’any 2005 com a pregoner de la festa major de Manresa a on vaig llegir un discurs anomenat “La recerca científica: una font de cultura, qualitat de vida i progrés econòmic”. Val la pena rellegir-lo! 17 anys després constato que la reivindicació de la ciència com a generador de coneixement i progrés cultural, social i econòmic és encara plenament vigent i molts dels reptes que ja anomenava llavors, com la necessitat d’enfrontar-se a la crisi climàtica, s’han accentuat. Compto que en tots els anys de la meva vida científica he fet més de dos centenars de xerrades als lloc més diversos per difondre aquest missatge o altres de semblants i sempre he detectat una magnífica acollida".

Singer Cèlia Vila Buchaca closed the event with two musical pieces: Quan tot s’enlaira, from Txarango, and La gent que estimo, from Oques Grasses.

Xavier Obradors at the Premi Bages de Cultura award ceremony at the Manresa City Council | Ajuntament de Manresa

Xavier Obradador's: science and culture

The jury of the Premi Bages de Cultura award wishes to highlight Xavier Obradors' work at the University of Barcelona and at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB, CSIC), his leadership at ICMAB, the publication of hundreds of scientific articles, the fact of having been particularly active in the development of materials to create a neutral society in the carbon cycle, the supervision of thirty doctorates, the work of scientific popularization in topics related to nanotechnology and its ability to mitigate climate change, and its involvement in numerous scientific and evaluation committees for research projects in Catalonia and around the world. The jury also points out the involvement of Xavier Obradors in the dissemination of scientific research in cultural, civic, secondary education centers, universities for the elderly or thematic fairs.

Xavier Obradors i Berenguer (Manresa, 1956) has a degree in Physics, a doctorate in Physics from the University of Barcelona and in Materials Science from the University of Grenoble, started as professor of Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Barcelona, ​​and is currently CSIC Research Professor and Director of the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), international reference center in materials for energy, electronics and health. He is member of the Superconducting Materials and Large Scale Nanostructures Group (SUMAN).

Coordinator of numerous national and European projects on functional magnetic and superconducting nanomaterials and their applications, he has received several distinctions: Blas Cabrera National Research Award, Duran Farell de Gas Natural, Novare-Endesa, City of Barcelona in Experimental Sciences and Technology, Ambassador of Region7 and member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona; he has received the Narcís Monturiol medals from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Leibniz Society from Germany, and is Chevalier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques (France). 

The Manresa City Council full for the Premi Bages de Cultura awards ceremony | Ajuntament de Manresa

See more photos of the event here (photo credit: Ajuntament de Manresa).