16th CIEU-FEiE Award for the Most Entrepreneurial Idea 2025

On December 11, 2025, the University Entrepreneurship Initiatives Center (CIEU), in collaboration with the School of Economics and Business (FEiE) and Escola FUAB Formació, held the sixteenth annual CIEU-FEiE Awards 2025. This event, which recognizes the best innovation ideas and projects from the university community, featured over one hundred projects across three established categories: "Escola FUAB Formació," "School of Economics and Business," and "General UAB."

The event, held at the auditorium of the School of Economics and Business, brought together nearly three hundred students, faculty, and individuals interested in discovering the disruptive proposals from university talent. Andreu Turró, associate professor in the Department of Business and moderator of the ceremony, opened the event by emphasizing that CIEU's main objective is to foster entrepreneurial spirit among students, in line with UAB's strategic goals. Turró stressed that "the power of entrepreneurship transforms societies and that academic events like this inspire the creation of more high-value companies."

Stefan van Hemmen, Associate Dean for Students, Entrepreneurship and Employability at the School of Economics and Business, described the entrepreneurial initiatives taking place at the school, including the entrepreneurship club, and encouraged students to become members. Meanwhile, Mariluz Pacheco, Executive Vice President of the UAB Foundation, highlighted that this award seeks to promote entrepreneurial ideas that transform society and that innovation is key to student education.

The keynote speaker was Hugo Palomar, a graduate in Hotel Management from UAB, CEO and founder of Mindset Digital, and recipient of the 2025 CIEU-FEiE Award for Most Outstanding Entrepreneur. Palomar shared his entrepreneurial journey, which includes launching startups in the tourism sector and his work as a business angel in various ventures. He emphasized that "teamwork is extremely important, especially for learning from others. It's essential for entrepreneurship," adding that "entrepreneurship is a way of life and a way of being."

The winners of the XVI CIEU-FEiE Awards 2025 were:

• "Escola FUAB Formació" category: Daniela Pérez and Valentina Méndez Rizo (EVENT365), Elisabet Balaciart (Inclusive Hotel), and Shin Jihee and Laura Fernández Guilemany (Anda+).
• "School of Economics and Business" category: Lidia Marrufo, Xènia Cabeza, and Marina Martín (EcoCycle), Alba Barrios, Carla Robles, Alexander Cortés, and Rosario Flores (ENERGYBREAK), and Arnau Pérez, Ona Pitarch, and Gal·la Solé (Yumbo).
• "General UAB" category: Francisca Polgatti, Valentina Rendich, Raffaele Barbato, Aletvia Ramirez, and Luis Campaña (Platos y Relatos), Ricard Baulies and Sebastián Heredia Querro (VITACODE), and Laia Chozo Mendoza, Kamile Buineviciute, Julia Siwiec, Emilia Widajewicz, and Gema Burillo Roman (forUABers).

Maite Ibern, Head of Entrepreneurship and Business Creation at UAB's Research Vice Management, closed the event by highlighting the importance of the entrepreneurship education provided at the university. "Ideas are crucial because we live in a global and constantly changing context, and they shape the future," she concluded.