IHCantabria’s managing director, Raúl Medina, will receive one of the ‘Premios Cachupín 2024’

In recognition of his “indisputable scientific and managerial contribution for the good of the community, especially in Cantabria”, the managing director of the Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the University of Cantabria (IHCantabria), Raúl Medina, will be awarded one of the “Premios Cachupín 2024”.

The ceremony of the 10th edition of these awards, given by the magazine “Vivir en Cantabria”, will be held on Friday, August 23, in the gardens of the Hotel Estrella del Norte, in the town of Isla. Together with Raúl Medina, other personalities from different scientific, social and cultural fields of Cantabria will be awarded in this event.

“I am deeply honored to receive the ‘Premio Cachupín’, in its tenth edition. I thank the organizers and the jury for valuing my contribution, and all those who have supported me along the way. This award reinforces my commitment to continue working for the cultural enrichment of our beloved region,” said Raúl Medina.

Outstanding career of Raúl Medina Santamaría

Raúl Medina is a leading figure in the field of coastal engineering and environmental management, both nationally and internationally. He directs IHCantabria since 2011 and holds relevant functions, such as vice-president of the Foundation Institute of Environmental Hydraulics (FIHAC); in addition to being professor of Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Cantabria (UC), since 2001.

He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Cantabria, where he directed the Oceanographic and Coastal Engineering Research Group between 1996 and 2011, and was a member of the Scientific and Doctoral Commission for 10 years.

His research focuses on integrated coastal zone management and planning, coastal numerical modeling, beach morphodynamics, inlet dynamics, wave hydrodynamics and wave-structure interaction. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications on these topics and has supervised more than 40 doctoral theses.

In 2013, he ranked 4th in the world in the ranking of authors with the highest impact factor in the last 5 years in the area of Ocean Engineering. For his research activity, on two occasions he received the “National Environment Award”. In recognition of his professional activity, the Association of Civil Engineers (Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, CICCP, by its acronym in Spanish) awarded him the “Medal of Professional Merit” in 2009.

Throughout his career, he has coordinated more than 150 international projects related to coastal and port engineering issues, coastal risk assessment and management, and integrated coastal zone management. In the last 30 years, he has been a consultant for several multilateral entities, such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank or the UNDP, on erosion, flooding and coastal management issues.

He has developed tools and methodologies that are currently used in many countries around the world, including the Coastal Modeling System (CMS), which is used by more than 580 companies and institutions in 56 countries. He was co-founder of a Technology Based Company (TBC) aimed at research in marine renewable energies, which has 6 patents.