Spain’s Royal Academy of Engineering voted unanimously to grant the Academiae Dilecta 2013 award to Ferrovial in recognition of its position as a Spanish engineering firm that is a global leader in transport infrastructure and services for cities.
Rafael del Pino, Chairman of Ferrovial, received the Academiae Dilecta 2013 award in a ceremony at Spain’s Royal Academy of Engineering.
According to Elías Fereres, agricultural engineer and president of the Royal Academy of Engineering: “Infrastructure and construction are an important part of Spain’s history dating back several thousand years and, for that reason, Ferrovial is part of the modern history of Spain. Ferrovial is one of the highest exponents of the work of Spanish engineering and Spanish engineers. The Academy also greatly appreciates the company’s focus on R&D and innovation, which are absolutely vital.”
In his opening remarks, Academy member Javier Rui-Wamba, a civil engineer, highlighted the need “to be bigger, though durability is not just a question of size, but also of agility, which is often incompatible with scale. It’s important to be very resilient, and Ferrovial has proven to be just that”.
Rui-Wamba also lauded “what we, and especially Ferrovial, have done together to provide the infrastructure that Spain needs,” adding that “the country has prospered enormously in recent decades due to the broad range of structures we have built in a truly multidisciplinary professional environment.”
Collecting the award, Rafael del Pino highlighted “the five strengths which define Ferrovial: efficiency, technical excellence, international vision, entrepreneurship and a commitment to society. They were present at inception and they have driven the company over the years”.
He continued: “Ferrovial has always been staunchly committed to developing its engineers’ technical and management capabilities, something we at the company call ‘value engineering’ and which has proven crucial when bidding for large projects”.
Discussing the company’s track record, del Pino also noted that “the talent and hard work of our engineers have enabled them to overcome seemingly impossible challenges and have enriched Ferrovial’s legacy of technical expertise so that it continues to stand out for its innovative, efficient solutions”.
The Academiae Dilecta award is one of the most prestigious distinctions in engineering and technology in Spain. It is presented annually by the Royal Academy of Engineering to companies whose activity is based on the analysis and research of the scientific and technical fundamentals of engineering, their applications in technology, operating techniques, as well as design, development and operation.
