Leonardo Torres Quevedo National Research Award

Jose Adam, professor and researcher at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), has been awarded the Leonardo Torres Quevedo National Research Award in the field of Engineering and Architecture. Adam, who currently leads the Building Resilient group at the UPV's ICITECH Institute, has received this prestigious award in recognition of his innovative approach to understanding and designing safer and more resilient structures.

The National Research Award, presented annually by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, recognises the achievements of Spanish researchers with an outstanding scientific track record. "Without a doubt, this is one of the best days of my life. This award brings me enormous satisfaction and is a recognition not only of my own work, but also of the work our research group has been carrying out for years, always with one goal in mind: to ensure that our infrastructure – buildings and bridges – is as safe as possible; that, in extreme situations and when there is a risk of collapse, they can withstand failure and remain standing" said Adam.

The UPV professor also noted that this award "would not have been possible without the support of my entire research group, the university and, of course, my family. And it is a great incentive to seek new solutions—through research and innovation bearing the UPV hallmark—to the challenges facing civil engineering in the short and medium term, and to transfer our findings to society."

About Jose Adam

Jose Adam is a Professor in the Construction Engineering and Civil Engineering Projects Department at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), a researcher at ICITECH. He teaches at the School of Civil Engineering. His work combines fundamental and applied research with technology transfer to industry.

He designs infrastructure and buildings capable of withstanding extreme events, such as explosions, impacts, fires, or earthquakes, to prevent progressive collapse and improve structural safety. In 2017, he received a Leonardo Grant from the BBVA Foundation, which enabled him to launch a new line of research into buildings resistant to extreme events. This laid the groundwork for subsequent developments that have obtained funding from the European Research Council, including an ERC Consolidator Grant and an ERC Proof of Concept grant, to bring this technology to market. His research has been published in leading international scientific journals, such as Nature.

A co-founder of the spin-off company Calsens and editor-in-chief of Construction and Building Materials, he has received various awards throughout his career, including the UPV's Researcher of the Year Award in 2024.