IHCantabria researcher awarded in the ‘ANCI 2025 Doctoral Thesis Award’.

The celebration of the award ceremony in its XXVII edition, which took place last night at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, was attended by senior officials of the Administration, representatives of Congress and the Senate, ambassadors, academic authorities and members of civil society, along with presidents and executives of ANCI member companies.

David Lucio’s doctoral research is focused on the development of innovative methodologies for the characterization of risks derived from climate change on coastal and port infrastructures. His thesis presents a new methodological framework for the projection, for example, of damages on physical assets -such as seawalls- or on port activity -such as the loading and unloading of goods. This work therefore lays the foundations for the adaptation of these critical infrastructures to climate change, by making it possible to systematically and quantitatively estimate the possible consequences of phenomena such as the rise in sea level, the intensification of waves or the increased frequency of extreme events. The methodological proposal not only facilitates the identification of the elements at greatest risk, but also helps to prioritize adaptation measures and to optimize investment planning in the medium and long term. In this regard, it is worth remembering the important role played by ports within the logistic supply chain, acting as strategic nodes for national and international trade.

For his part, Lucio highlights the relevance of the recognition “because from the construction business sector the research carried out at IHCantabria, in general, and my doctoral thesis, in particular, is valued”. In Lucio’s words, this award reinforces the public service vocation of the research carried out at the Institute: “Our objective is to generate useful and applicable knowledge that responds to the general interest and to ensure its effective transfer to society as a whole. In this way, and from scientific evidence, administrations can design better public policies, while private entities can make strategic decisions that boost their competitiveness.”

In this sense, Lucio emphasizes that the results of his thesis are already being applied in both public and private organizations. “Part of the methodologies and techniques developed have been transferred to different entities. For example, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has adopted the approach proposed in the thesis to project the impacts of climate change on the coastal structures of the Spanish coast. More recently, Puertos del Estado has taken this methodology as a reference for assessing climate risks in the state port system. At the international level, organizations such as the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank use these tools to guide investments in port infrastructures. Similarly, numerous engineering consultancies and port authorities use them to design and adapt infrastructures to projected climate changes.

This recognition is in addition to the First Modesto Vigueras Award, granted by the Technical Association of Ports and Coasts (ATPYC), which he received in 2022 and which distinguishes young professionals under 40 years of age for their contributions to the scientific and technical community in the coastal and port field.

About ANCI

ANCI is the association of non-listed construction companies that, since 1997, has been promoting efficiency in public works contracting and the development of a competitive, innovative and solvent business fabric by fostering competition, transparency and equal opportunities in the construction sector.

ANCI groups 25 construction companies responsible for 20% of the public works executed in Spain, with activities in construction, concessions and services in more than 40 countries.

Since 1999, ANCI has annually awarded the “ANCI Doctoral Thesis Award” to stimulate research and promote innovation in the public works construction sector.

From left to right, the director of the School of Civil Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, José Miguel Atienza Riera; the president of ANCI, Concha Santos; the Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, José Antonio Santano; the president of the National Construction Confederation, Pedro Fernández Alén; the president of the Association of Civil Engineers, Miguel Ángel Carrillo Suárez; the award winner Nerea Portillo, and the runner-up David Lucio