It recognizes the best academic work among the winners of the five national editions: Spain, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Chile

• The winners are Elena Mora (University of Cantabria), Bryan Ruiz (University of Puerto Rico) and César de Santos (Technical University of Madrid).
• The International Network of Abertis Academic Chairs has been awarded by the Excellentia Ex Cathedra’s Observatory of the University of Valencia.

The International Network of Abertis Chairs awarded today its seventh International Prize for Infrastructure Management and Road Safety, which recognizes the best academic work among the winners of its five national editions (Spain, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Chile). This award has three main categories: doctoral thesis, master’s thesis and road safety.

The award ceremony at the Embassy of Spain in Paris, France was attended by Fernando Cardedera, Spanish Ambassador in France; Arnaud Quémard, general manager of Sanef – Abertis’ french subsidiary-, Simon Cohen, Director of the Abertis Chair France; Françoise Prêteux, Research manager of the École de Ponts ParisTech; and Sergi Loughney, Abertis' Director of Corporate Reputation and Communications and Director of the Abertis Foundation.

In the Doctoral Thesis category, the award went to Elena Mora, doctor by the University of Cantabria (Spain) and XVth Abertis Spain Prize winner, for her thesis “A Bayesian network approach for probabilistic safety analysis of traffic networks”.

Bryan Ruiz, from the University of Puerto Rico, was the winner in the master’s thesis category for his work titled “Use of driving simulator for the operational and safety evaluation of signage and pavement markings: a case study of PR-22 dynamic toll lane”.

Finally, in Road Safety’s category, the prize went to the doctoral thesis “A methodology for sight distance analysis on highways, alignment coordination, and their relation to traffic safety” by César de Santos, doctor by the Technical University of Madrid.

Network of Abertis Chairs

Aware of the importance of working with academia to achieve social and economic progress, Abertis fosters training, research and the transfer of knowledge between the university and the company. The International Network of Abertis Chairs is the first university think tank with the mission of promoting road safety in higher education, bringing together the efforts of academic partners, the public sector and the private sector. It is one of the pillars of Abertis' steadfast commitment to road safety via its strategic Road Safety programme. 

The International Network of Abertis Chairs has been recognized this year with the award given by the Excellentia Ex Cathedra Observatory of the University of Valencia to the various initiatives promoted within the framework of institutional chairs, in the category of "Good practices in the management and direction of the resources of the Chairs for the development of their activities".

The network of Abertis Academic Chairs in Spain comprises those established in Madrid (UPM-Technical University of Madrid), headed by José Manuel Vassallo, and Barcelona (UPC), under Francesc Robusté. The company also has four international academic chairs: in France (IFSTTAR, École des Ponts), headed by Simon Cohen; Puerto Rico (University of Puerto Rico), under Benjamín Colucci; Chile (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile), chaired by Juan de Dios Ortúzar; and Brazil (University of São Paulo), under the tutelage of Leidi Bernucci.

More information about the winning works on the website of the International Network of Abertis Chairs: www.catedrasabertis.com

• press release