María Vivanco and Arkaitz Carracedo receive the ‘Gazte Role Model 2025’ award from Begoñazpi Ikastola

The ‘Gazte Role Model 2025’ award, a benchmark in the Basque educational field, recognized the social commitment and professional career of Maria Vivanco and Arkaitz Carracedo, distinguished for their work in cancer research, at a gala held on November 12 at the Begoñazpi ikastola, with the presence of the Minister of Education Begoña Pedrosa, the deputy Ainara Basurko and the bishop of Bilbao, Mons. Joseba Segura.

The 16th edition of the ‘Gazte Role Model Saria’ awards was held yesterday at the Begoñazpi ikastola in Bilbao, recognizing the social commitment and professional excellence of three prominent Basque figures: CIC bioGUNE researchers María Vivanco and Arkaitz Carracedo, and entrepreneur José María Galíndez.

In this edition, María Vivanco and Arkaitz Carracedo were honored in the “social commitment” category, while José Galíndez received the “entrepreneurship award,” thus highlighting the two pillars of this recognition.

The jury, composed of representatives from CEBEK, Innobasque, SPRI, the Bizkaia Provincial Council, and the EBI – Diocesan Centers network, emphasized Vivanco and Carracedo’s work in the field of biomedical and cancer research, positioning CIC bioGUNE as an international benchmark.

• María Vivanco, a graduate in Biochemistry from the University of the Basque Country (EHU) and PhD from the University of Heidelberg, has focused her research on mammary stem cells and therapeutic resistance in breast cancer, with numerous publications and scientific awards.
• Arkaitz Carracedo, a graduate in Biology and PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid, leads projects focused on translating basic cancer research into clinical practice, placing his group at the forefront internationally.

For his part, José Galíndez, founder of Zelestra and president of the Beraunberri group, was recognized for his socially responsible entrepreneurship, with a career that combines business innovation and humanitarian commitment, from the creation of foundations to the promotion of clean energy and palliative care projects.

During the gala, the award winners received the statuette designed by sculptor Néstor Basterretxea, which symbolizes education, creativity, and movement, and shared their experiences and values ​​with the students, introducing young people to the principles of self-improvement, social commitment, and professional excellence that have inspired these awards since 2008.

Bego Bañuelos, director of Begoñazpi Ikastola, emphasized that the ‘Gazte Role Model Saria’ (Youth Role Model Award) aims to “show that there are people whose personal and professional journeys are true role models for the students,” highlighting the educational impact of the ceremony.

With more than 16 years of history, these awards have established themselves as a benchmark in the Basque Country, promoting the motivation of young people towards innovation, solidarity and professional development, values ​​that are represented by the award winners from CIC bioGUNE, a member of BRTA, and José Galíndez.

About CIC bioGUNE

The bioGUNE Research Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), based in the Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, is a biomedical research organization that develops cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cellular biology, with special attention to the study of the molecular basis of disease, to be used in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance formed by four collaborative research centers (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE, and CIC energiGUNE) and thirteen technology centers (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker, and Vicomtech) with the goal of developing advanced technological solutions for Basque businesses.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group, and the Provincial Councils of the three Basque territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration among its member centers, strengthen the conditions for generating and transferring knowledge to companies to contribute to their competitiveness, and showcase Basque scientific and technological capabilities internationally.

BRTA has a staff of 3,500 professionals, carries out 22% of the R&D investment in the Basque Country, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.