manel xifra i boada awards manel xifra i boada awards · manel xifra i boada awards manel xifra i...

MANEL XIFRA I BOADA AWARDS

01

MANEL XIFRA I BOADAAWARDS


Manel Xifra i Boada (1928-2005), a Technical Engineer trained at the Industrial Engineering School in Terrassa, dedicated his professional career to the industrial sector.

L’any 1954 va fundar Comexi, In 1954 he founded Comexi, which today specialises in manufacturing equipment for the flexible packaging sector. The company started out as a small workshop, with specialised and qualified staff, for maintaining and manufacturing equipment for the paper industry. At the end of the 50s, the firm began a long process of internationalisation and professionalisation improving its technology standards, optimising the size of the company and generating resources to self-finance the dimensions required in this process.

The Comexi Group’s export activity represents 95% of its turnover, and its sales network covers around eighty countries all over the world. The Comexi brandname really took off around the world in the 90s.

Today it is a business group with a turnover in 2010 of 100M€, very much focused on inno-vation, and it is made up of several companies: Comexi Group Industries S.A.U., which covers most of the commercial brands (Comexi, Nexus, Enviroxi and Proslit); Comexi Con-verting Solutions SRL, a firm founded in Italy in 2010 which manages the commercial brand Acom that specialises in rotogravure printing machinery; Comexi do Brasil, the manufactu-ring centre in Brasil for that market and most of South America; Comexi North America and Comexi South America, commercial branch offices in US and Mexico, respectively.

Xifra believed firmly in Girona, and was a member of the Governing Council of the Catalan Pro Europe Board in Girona, of the Board of the Higher Polytechnic School of the UdG and the plenary session of the Chamber of Commerce of Girona, as well as an honorary member of CETIG (Girona College of Industrial Technical Engineering) and Proclaimer of the Girona Holy Week in 2003.

02


The business, export and technological innovation initiative of Comexi S.A.U. have won both the firm and its founding chairman the following distinctions, among others:

1989, 1994 and 2004. Awards for dynamism in exporting and successful export figures, given by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Girona.

1995. Top Award for Technology (Department of Industry of the Generalitat of Catalonia)

1996. Personal award for enterprising in the category of internationalisation (Ernst & Young, “la Caixa” and Cinco Días).

1998. Award for Internationalisation of the Catalan Economy (Generatlitat of Catalonia).

1999. Top Award for Middle-Sized Companies (SMEs).

1999. Francesc Macià Medal for Work, granted by the Generatlitat of Catalonia,on a personal basis, for professional merit.

2003. Award for Internationalisation of the Catalan Economy (Generatlitat of Catalonia) on a personal basis.

2005. Manel Xifra Boada Award, granted postumously by the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Girona.

03


The College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Girona and Comexi Group give the Manel Xifra i Boada Awards. Since the first edition, these prestigious awards have been given in recognition of the work of five people who, according to the criteri of CETIG and Comexi Group, have contributed to divulging, consolidating and distinguishing the industrial techni-cal engineering profession.

The awards were introduced seven years ago, shortly after the demise of the engineer whom they are named after: Manel Xifra i Boada. He helped to promote the awards, but he died shortly beforehand. Since then, the awards represent the philosophy that Xifra upheld, both from the point of view of his business and his family.

Award for the Best Professional Career.

Award for Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge, in recognition of divulging and transmitting technical and technological know-how.

Award in recognition of the prize given by the Board of the Higher Polytechnical School of the UdG for the best End of Course Projects in Industrial Technical Engineering, in the specialist fields of Mechanics, Industrial Chemistry and Industrial Electronics.

The Manel Xifra i Boada Awards

The Manel Xifra i Boada Awards establish three

categories

04


The awards were introduced in 2005, shortly after the demise of the engineer after whom they were named: Manel Xifra i Boada helped to create the awards, but he died shortly before they were introduced. Therefore, before opening the ceremony, the first prize was awarded postumously to this engineer.

The awards represent the philosophy that Xifra upheld, both from the point of view of his business and his family.

2005Awarded

postumously to Manel Xifra i

Boada

05


The College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Girona and Comexi Group granted the Manel Xifra i Boada Awards, for the first time, on 2 June.

The Manel Xifra i Boada Awards establish 3 categories:

Award for the Best Professional Career which was awarded to Josep Palau Francas, founding partner of Soler & Palau, a multinational specialising in ventilation. This award highlights someone who has been greatly involved in a signifcant impetus and improvement in the Region, and Palau has been a clear example of the business capacity and generation of wealth in the Girona region.

Award for Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge, in recognition of eforts to divulge and transmit technical and technological know-how. This was awarded to Jorge Wagensberg, director of the Science and Environment Area of the “la Caixa” Foundation. Wagensberg has had a long career, which highlights his contribution to divulging scientific knowledge. He has succeeded in bringing the most complicated scientific principles to the general public through his publications and the important projects organised in the museum he manages.

Awards for three end of course projects from the Board of the Higher Polytechnic School were given to three young engineers whose projects have been chosen as the best End of Course projects in the Higher Polytechnic School. The Manel Xifra i Boada award was given to Jordi Bona, Berta Bayés and Carles Sendra.

2006First edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

Awards

06


The College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Girona and Comexi Group gave the 2nd edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada Awards on 1 June. According to the College, these awards, already a consolidated event, “have helped to divulge, consolidate and distinguish the industrial technical engineering profession”.

In this edition, the award for the “best professional career”, given by the members, went to Joaquim Lleal, the founding partner of Dytsa in 1958, specialising in manufacturing screws. It was based in Banyoles. Lleal highlighted that “my company has been very success-ful thanks to the human resources at its disposal”.

On the other hand, the award for “Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge”, in recognition of efforts to divulge and transmit technical and technological know-how, was given to Gabriel Ferraté, former Rector of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and current chairman of the Caixa Tarragona, Institut Cerdà and the Advisory Council for Sustainable Development of the Generalitat of Catalonia. However, Ferraté highlighted that for him the most important aspect was working in companies, and even founding one, Ciber, which specialises in designing and manufacturing industrial electronic equipment. Ferraté thanked those who gave him the award and ensured them that “success and wisdom are reserved for those who take risks and learn from their errors”. Also, the Manel Xifra i Boada awards are a recognition of the best end of course projects, and the award is given by the Board of the Higher Polytechnic School of UdG. In this edition, the three students who received the awards were Clara Puig (industrial chemistry), Rubén Ródenas (mechanics) and Núria Barón (industrial electronics).

2007Second edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

awards

07


On Friday 6 June, the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Girona and Comexi Group granted the Manel Xifra i Boada awards to Mas Marroch (Vilablareix), a significant figure in the industrial technical engineering profession. This year’s award winners were:

Award for the Best Professional Career toJosep Arnau, Director of the centre associated with UNED and lecturing professor at the Universitat de Girona;

Award for Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge, to Eduard Punset, journalist and scientific disseminator,

Awards in recognition of the award from the Board of the Higher Polytechnical School of the UdG for the best End of Course projects in industrial technical enginee-ring went to Xavier Casademont, Isabel Jaume and Xavier Palomé.

The College Dean, Narcís Bartina, talked about the spirit of the awards and remembered Manel Xifra i Boada, the founder of Comexi and the engineer whom the awards are named after. He highlighted the values of work, effort, knowledge and illusion, particular values which he believes this year’s award winners share with Xifra.

The Councillor for Territorial Policies and Public Works, Joaquim Nadal, spoke briefly, prai-sing the initiatives of these characteristics, and he made a particular mention of the two organising entities: the College of Industrial Technical Engineers and Comexi Grup.

2008Third edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

awards

08


2008Third edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

awards

Afterwards, the Secretary of the Board of the College of Industrial Technical Engineers gave a brief summary on why the awards are given. Then the awards were given out, with audio visual projections.

Finally, the Managing Director of Comexi Group, Manel Xifra, remembered the lack of indus-trial technical engineers in the region of Girona, and affirmed that training and research are the keys to creating a professional vocation.

The official award giving ceremony was closed by the Mayoress of Girona, Anna Pagans.

Then Eduard Punset, journalist and scientific disseminator, gave a short conference on the human habit of being unhappy. Under the title “travelling to the profession”, he spoke about how a professional task helps us realise our personal potential. A profound speech which once again proved Punset’s ability to divulge universal principles, and bring the most abstract concepts closer to the general public.

09


On 29 April at midday, the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Girona (CETIG) and the Comexi Group gave the fourth edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada Awards to five award winners: Joan Peracaula (Manel Xifra Boada Award for Transmitting Scientific-Techni-cal Knowledge) Josep Serra (Manel Xifra Boada Award for the Best Professional Career), Hermann Blum Vilanueva, Pol Feixas and Marta Poch (recognition of the prizes for the Best End of Course Project awarded by the Higher Polytechnical School of the UdG).

“Encouraging young people starting out in the profession” is one of the aims of the Manel Xifra Boada awards, according to the CETIG Dean, Narcís Bartina, who was very pleased because these awards, now in their fourth edition, “have become a permanent feature”. Bartina also highlighted the two points defining the awards: knowledge and professiona-lism. Finally, he underlined the common denominator between the five award winners, “their loyalty to themselves and their generosity”.

For his part, the Delegate for the Campus and the Infrastructures of the UdG, Lluís Albó, indicated that the awards are “ a recognition of good work, and work done well”. The Execu-tive Chairman of Comexi, Manel Xifra i Pagès, mentioned that the awards named after his father, are to keep his legacy alive, and he praised the values of the award winners. He said of Joan Peracaula that “his profile fits in with the characteristics of the award, because of his career in training and research and his efforts to enhance co-operation between universi-ties and companies. He defined Josep Serra as an example of the consolidation of a family firm, and praised his role as an active businessman in associations within the sector.

Also, he said that he hoped that the awards will encourage the young student winners to “develop their professional career”.

2009Fourth edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

awards

10


2009Fourth edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

awards

Joan Perecaula, awarded the Manel Xifra i Boada award for Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge, highlighted that research “is the best system for creating new knowledge, which leads to new products”. Josep Serra, on the other hand, admitted that he did not expect to win the award and remembered his time working next to Manel Xifra i Boada, who gave him “plenty of advice”.

The awards were given on 5 June in an act held in Hotel AC - Palau de Bellavista, coinciding with the Day of the Profession.

11


Award for Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge. Pedro Miguel Etxenike Landi-ríbar (Isaba, Navarra, 1950) is a world authority in the field of theoretical physics. In 1998 he received the Prince of Austurias Prize for Scientific and Technical Research. He is a lecturing professor in the Physics of Condensed Matter at the Universitat del País Basc and Cambrid-ge. He is currently chairman of the Donostia International Physics Centre foundation, and has helped to set up CIC Nanogune, which aims to attract leading nanotechnology laborato-ries. He was Councillor for Education and Culture in the Basque Government between 1980 and 1984.

Award for the Best Professional Career. Josep Bosch Esparch (Girona, 1938) is an indus-trial expert and technical engineer from the School of Terrassa. From 1975 until 2004 he was a member of the CETIG Governing Board, and was Dean from 2000 until 2004. In 1967 together with a partner, he created Oter-Girona SL, a technical office specialising in drawing up industrial installation projects. In 1972 he created Oxiter-Girona SL.

Recognition of the awards by the Board of the Higher Polytechnical School of the UdG for the best End of Course projects in industrial technical engineering. The award winners are:

Francesc Lara Escamilla, industrial technical engineer (ITE) in mechanics, for the design and project on a chestnut shell cutter.

Agnès Alogra Marcé, ITE in industrial chemistry, for the project on optimising a refiner in a coated paper factory.

Gerard Massaguer Frigolé, ITE in industrial electronics, for the project, design and cons-truction of a robotic arm with 5 degrees of freedom governed by PC via USB.

2010 Fifth edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

awards

12


Joan Majó - Manel Xifra Boada Award for Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge�Doctor in Industrial Engineering, Spanish Minister of Industry (1985 - 1986). He was chair-man of the Catalan Radio and Television Corporation, and has held important posts in com-panies like Olivetti, NISA, La Seda and the private Barcelona municipal firm, 22@.

Joan Vidal - Manel Xifra Boada Award for his Professional Career� Industrial expert and Technical Engineer from the School of Terrassa. Founder of the company, Aplicacions Elèc-triques S.A.

The Manel Xifra Boada awards in recognition of the prizes for the best end of course projects, from the Board of the Higher Polytechnical School of the UdG are for:

Carlos López Expósito, ITE in mechanics for the project on the machine for making a crack in a hazelnut shell. FSEC Project.

Esther Valiente Valencia, ITE in industrial chemistry, for the project assessing the photoex-traction technique for reducing the concentrations of heavy metals in soils contaminated by the mining industry.

David Moreno Cabruja, ITE in industrial electronics, for the mobile head project with RGBW LED technology controlled by DMX - who was unable to attend the ceremony.

2011Sixth edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada

awards

13


The award ceremony, which was attended by Núria Gispert, chairwoman of the Parliament of Catalonia and Carles Puigdemont, Mayor of Girona, was the seventh edition, and part of the Engidiada agenda, when the industrial technical engineers in Girona hold their annual meeting.

The Manel Xifra i Boada Award for Transmitting Scientific-Technical Knowledge was given to the Universitat de Girona. The UdG was represented in the ceremony by the current Rector, Anna M. Geli, and the previous rectors, Josep M. Nadal and Joan Batlle. Their contribution over the last 20 years to educating youngsters, transferring knowledge from the Parc, the quality of their teaching, their internationally recognised scientific work and the recently received Campus of Excellence in Tourism and Water award, are some of the reasons why the University deserved this award.

The Manel Xifra i Boada Award for the professional career was given to Jordi Frigolé, Director of Nestlé Girona. Frigolé is an Industrial Technical Engineer from the Universitat de Girona, and he joined Nestlé in 1986. In 2000 he was appointed Head of the Technical Department of Electricity and Automation at the Product Technology Centre in Orbe, Swit-zerland, and as such he was responsible for the Technical Area of Automation of all the Coffee and Drink producing factories in the Nestlé Group worldwide. When he returned to Girona, he joined the factory management team, taking an active part in projects associated with increasing the centre’s technological capacity and innovation and, mainly, setting up the new capsules production plant for Nescafé Dolce Gusto. Finally, in February 2011 he was appointed Director.

2012Seventh edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada awards

14


2012Seventh edition of the Manel Xifra i Boada awards

As every year, the Manel Xifra i Boada awards are also a recognition of the young industrial technical engineers, who received the award for the best end of course projects given by the Board of the Higher Polytechnic School of the Universitat de Girona. In this category the award winners were Albert Prieto who received the prize for the best Industrial Technical Engineering end of course project, specialising in Mechanics, for his work on “The Mechani-cal Design of a hand prothesis”; Juan Antonio Hidaldgo who received the prize for the best Industrial Technical Engineering end of course project, specialising in Industrial Chemistry, for his work on “Preparing polyurethane foam for applications in regenerative medicine”; and Arcadi Castanyer who received the prize for the best Industrial Technical Engineering end of course project, specialising in Industrial Electronics, for his work on a “Registering and analysis system for analog data on an SD card”.

15


2013

8th edition of the

Manel Xifra Boada

Awards

Girona’s Industrial Technical Engineers College (CETIG) and Comexi Group have awarded, on a gala held on Friday evening in the function room of the Higher Polytechnic School of the University of Girona, the prizes of the Manel Xifra Boada 8th edition awards. These prizes are framed within the ‘Engidiada’, the annual meeting of Girona’s Industrial Technical Engineers. The event was attended by Felip Puig, Catalan Minister of Companies and Occu-pation; Marta Madrenas, Girona’s Council Second Deputy Major and Town Councillor of the area of Promotion and Occupation, and also by Eudald Casadesús, Catalan Autonomous Government territorial delegate, amongst others. This year, the Manel Xifra Award for promoting the diffusion of scientific and techni-cal knowledge has been given to Carles Riba and Romeva. Born in Palma de Mallorca on the 1st July 1947, he is an Industrial Engineer graduated by the ETSEI of Barcelona and also a Doctor in Engineering by the UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia). His capacity to transmit scientific and technical knowledge is certified by his teaching activities, but also by his research and dissemination works. Riba is one of the promoters, from the Collective for a new Energy and Social Sustainable model, of a research project based on energy transi-tion seeking to push a change from the current development model based on fossil resour-ces to another one built on renewable resources, which will need support both from univer-sities and Catalan institutions. The Manel Xifra Boada prize to the career path has been given to Martirià Butinyà Carrera. Butinyà earned an Industrial Technical Engineer degree and started his professio-nal career in several companies, such as Kolster (dedicated to sound recorders), Carandini (based on lighting) and Teisa (linked to Agrienergia corporate group). In 1972, Butinyà joins Agrienergia –firm located in Banyoles (Girona, Spain)- and dedicated to the manufacture, distribution and commercialization of electrical power as the Director of the Power Section,

where he has worked more than 40 years. Butinyà founded the APPA (Association of Renewable Energy Producers), along with other experts, and also got involved from the start in the ASEME (Association of Power Companies) being a board member during many years. As every year, the Manel Xifra Boada awards have also recognized the young Industrial Technical Engineers who received the prize to the best end-of-degree project from the Board of Trustees of Girona’s Higher Polytechnic School. In this category, the awardees have been the industrial technical engineer in Mechanics David Jiménez Aparicio for his project ‘Design of a wheelchair for disaggregate surfaces’; the industrial technical engineer in Industrial Chemistry Cristina Martín Castañé for her work about ‘Bony and acrylic foun-dations for its application in minimal invasive surgery’; and the industrial technical engineer in Industrial Electronics Carles Candela Gonzalez for his project ‘Design and creation of an elevator for an underwater robot’.

16


Girona’s Industrial Technical Engineers College (CETIG) and Comexi Group have awarded, on a gala held on Friday evening in the function room of the Higher Polytechnic School of the University of Girona, the prizes of the Manel Xifra Boada 8th edition awards. These prizes are framed within the ‘Engidiada’, the annual meeting of Girona’s Industrial Technical Engineers. The event was attended by Felip Puig, Catalan Minister of Companies and Occu-pation; Marta Madrenas, Girona’s Council Second Deputy Major and Town Councillor of the area of Promotion and Occupation, and also by Eudald Casadesús, Catalan Autonomous Government territorial delegate, amongst others. This year, the Manel Xifra Award for promoting the diffusion of scientific and techni-cal knowledge has been given to Carles Riba and Romeva. Born in Palma de Mallorca on the 1st July 1947, he is an Industrial Engineer graduated by the ETSEI of Barcelona and also a Doctor in Engineering by the UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia). His capacity to transmit scientific and technical knowledge is certified by his teaching activities, but also by his research and dissemination works. Riba is one of the promoters, from the Collective for a new Energy and Social Sustainable model, of a research project based on energy transi-tion seeking to push a change from the current development model based on fossil resour-ces to another one built on renewable resources, which will need support both from univer-sities and Catalan institutions. The Manel Xifra Boada prize to the career path has been given to Martirià Butinyà Carrera. Butinyà earned an Industrial Technical Engineer degree and started his professio-nal career in several companies, such as Kolster (dedicated to sound recorders), Carandini (based on lighting) and Teisa (linked to Agrienergia corporate group). In 1972, Butinyà joins Agrienergia –firm located in Banyoles (Girona, Spain)- and dedicated to the manufacture, distribution and commercialization of electrical power as the Director of the Power Section,

20138th edition of the Manel Xifra Boada

Awards

where he has worked more than 40 years. Butinyà founded the APPA (Association of Renewable Energy Producers), along with other experts, and also got involved from the start in the ASEME (Association of Power Companies) being a board member during many years. As every year, the Manel Xifra Boada awards have also recognized the young Industrial Technical Engineers who received the prize to the best end-of-degree project from the Board of Trustees of Girona’s Higher Polytechnic School. In this category, the awardees have been the industrial technical engineer in Mechanics David Jiménez Aparicio for his project ‘Design of a wheelchair for disaggregate surfaces’; the industrial technical engineer in Industrial Chemistry Cristina Martín Castañé for her work about ‘Bony and acrylic foun-dations for its application in minimal invasive surgery’; and the industrial technical engineer in Industrial Electronics Carles Candela Gonzalez for his project ‘Design and creation of an elevator for an underwater robot’.

17

manel xifra i boada awards manel xifra i boada awards · manel xifra i boada awards manel xifra i...

Documents