Elena Azurmendi is manager of management of research of Tecnun. During the last academic year, the School has managed to increase the number of research projects. "Tecnun, with its research generates knowledge and financial aid to society in many new challenges it faces in the future," Azurmendi emphasizes.

This year there has been an increase in the number of research projects achieved by Tecnun. Why do you think this increase is due to this?

I believe that there is a lot of effort on the part of the professor-researcher of Tecnun to carry out a good research, hence, we have more and more projects. The School has a staff professor researcher (PDI), formed by fifteen groups of research with more and more experience in research projects and in the different profiles of regional, national and European calls. It is important to think about the importance for the professor of Tecnun and the whole University to have a good research that has a direct impact on the quality of its teaching. 

Which projects have experienced the greatest increase?

In the last calls we have increased in projects funded by the European Union, several Horizon 2020 projects, several LIFE projects (Environment and Climate Action Program), as well as the Ministry of Science and Innovation, where we participate with projects Retos partnership and Retos research aimed at solving problems related to the major challenges of society included in the State Plan for Scientific and Technical research and Innovation. In addition, we continue to maintain a significant issue of projects of the Basque Government, Elkartek, Hazitek, Eima, etc. programs. As well as projects with the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and local organizations such as Fomento San Sebastian, participating in technological bonds.

What benefits does the increase in research projects bring to Tecnun?

Firstly, the research of the professors has a direct impact on the quality professor of the student of Tecnun. And on the other hand, the research has a social implication, synergies are sought between other internal groups of the School itself, with groups of the Ceit, with groups of other Schools of our university, groups of research of other universities, groups of other centers of research and groups of companies. This is very enriching. In addition, Tecnun, with its research generates knowledge and financial aid to society in many new challenges for the future.

In the case of European projects, has Tecnun also improved with respect to previous years?

Yes, we have improved significantly. We have gone from researching from a average of three to eight European Union projects, in very varied areas, with public and private entities as partners and with good budgets to be able to carry out a good research.

Projects such as LIFE URBAN KLIMA 2050, MODEL2BIO, STANCE4HEALTH, MEET-AML, ENGAGE, LIFE MCUBO, SENSOFT, D-MAT, projects in which different groups of research of Tecnun are researching.

Has the issue of contracts with companies also increased?

Yes, the partnership between the university and business in terms of contracts for work at research has grown. Companies are aware of Tecnun's research quality and demand financial aid from our PDI for specific work. In fact, there are many calls for proposals to which funding is accessed jointly by universities and companies for joint participation in R&D projects.

Tecnun participates as a member in the 4Gune capabilities map, which seeks to serve companies. 

What are the main areas of research that the School provides? 

4Gune, the Cluster of training University Cluster in Engineering, Science and Technology of the Basque Country, has created a map of capabilities (training, research, transfer, and facilities and equipment) of Industry 4.0 in the Basque university system, to serve companies, in which Tecnun collaborates by making our areas of research available to all companies in the Basque Country. 4Gune intends to expand the capabilities not only within Industry 4.0 but also to add other priority areas later on.

The areas being worked on include: Cybersecurity, Additive Manufacturing, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, among others. Tecnun's research groups that are researching in these areas are groups such as Manufacturing, Sustainable Improvement, Wireless Instruments, Electronic Circuits and Sensors, Mathematical Principles of Information, etc.