•  A total of 15 schools from all over Galicia are participating in the 2024-25 course of Talentos Inclusivos, inaugurated today at the Domus Museum in A Coruña.
• The participating teams will develop technological solutions for challenges such as accessibility systems in homes, adapted games, or rehabilitation devices.

A Coruña, November 29, 2024.- Talentos Inclusivos program, promoted by the Center for Research in Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC) at the University of A Coruña, held the opening ceremony of its fifth edition today at the Domus Museum in A Coruña.

This project is committed to social inclusion and has received numerous national and international recognitions, such as the recent award at the international “Science in Action” competition. This initiative, a hallmark of CITIC, reflects the center’s commitment to projects with a clear social component, promoting the integration of people with disabilities, raising awareness in society, and fostering science in the service of the community.

The program, which has the institutional support of the Social Council of UDC, the City Council of A Coruña, FECYT, and the Xunta de Galicia, through the Ministry of Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Social Policy and Equality, aims to promote scientific vocations among Galician students and raise awareness of functional diversity.

In this new edition, 15 secondary, high school, and vocational training centers from all over Galicia will work on challenges identified by collaborating third-sector entities, such as ASPACE Coruña, Amencer-ASPACE, APAMP, and the Red Cross through its Training Center in A Coruña. This last entity joins this edition focused on the elderly.

Among the challenges taken on in previous years are accessibility systems in homes and work environments, adapted games and leisure devices such as “Simon Says”; modification of support products created through 3D printing such as console controller adapters or bicycle mounts; and innovative technological devices such as holographic fans or electronic locks.

Project Consolidation

Manuel G. Penedo, director of CITIC, highlighted at the opening that “Inclusive Talents is one of CITIC’s main projects and an example of collaboration between educational, scientific, and social institutions. We are proud to continue promoting inclusive science and expanding the impact of this program throughout Galicia,” and emphasized “the numerous recognitions it has received, consolidating it as a reference in inclusion and accessibility initiatives. Its expansion and evolution are a testament to the commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities and fostering their active participation in society.”

Additionally, Javier Pereira, deputy director of CITIC and project coordinator, stressed the importance of combining technology with social purposes: “Students have the opportunity to apply ICT to improve the lives of real people, giving them a practical and ethical perspective on the use of technology.”

The event featured speeches from representatives of the promoting entities, as well as institutions such as the Xunta de Galicia, the City Council of A Coruña, and the University of A Coruña. Additionally, users of ASPACE Coruña, CITIC research staff, and representatives of the participating educational centers shared their experiences from previous editions.

About Talentos Inclusivos

Talentos Inclusivos is a project promoted by CITIC that takes place throughout the school year, with the support of FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology). Its goal is to inspire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) vocations among young people and raise awareness of disability through collaborative work teams to solve technological challenges posed by people with cerebral palsy.

Through this project, secondary and high school students from various institutes in Galicia will have to find technological solutions to a series of challenges proposed by users of ASPACE Coruña, Amencer-ASPACE, APAMP, and the Red Cross A Coruña.

For more information, you can visit the project’s website: https://talentosinclusivos.citic.udc.es. 

About CITIC 

CITIC is a research center that promotes advancement and excellence in R&D&I applied to ICT, created in 2008 by the University of A Coruña. The center’s scientific activity is structured into four main research areas: Artificial Intelligence; Data Science and Engineering; High-Performance Computing; and Intelligent Services and Networks, with a transversal research area: Cybersecurity.

CITIC is accredited as an Excellent Center and a member of the CIGUS Network for the period 2024-2027. The accreditation, structuring, and improvement of CITIC are co-financed by the Xunta de Galicia and 60% by the European Union under the Galicia ERDF Operational Program 2021-2027, with the thematic objective of promoting “a smarter Europe: innovative economic transformation.”