The INDITEX-UDC Chair in AI on Green Algorithms has been awarded the CPEIG Sustainable Development Goals Prize
A Coruña, May 5th, 2026
The INDITEX-UDC Chair in AI on Green Algorithms has just been awarded the Sustainable Development Goals (ODS in Spanish) Prize by the Galician Professional Association of Computer Engineering (CPEIG), as part of the XVIII Galician Computer Engineering Night.
Launched as a public-private initiative, the Chair aims to advance towards a more sustainable AI by promoting research, innovation, training and knowledge transfer in the field of green algorithms, with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of digital technologies and contributing to the protection of the environment.
The Chair’s director, Verónica Bolón, a researcher at CITIC and PhD in Computer Science, emphasises that “the Chair is an example of public-private collaboration for the development of research, training and outreach activities in the field of green AI, with the aim of contributing to sustainable development”. In this regard, she points out that advances in Artificial Intelligence also present challenges: “the development and deployment of AI poses environmental threats due to the use of computational, energy and water resources”.
In response to this, Green AI proposes more efficient solutions. “It involves the development of systems that are more sustainable and environmentally responsible,” explains Bolón, who highlights that these approaches enable effective results to be achieved using fewer resources and reducing environmental impact. Thus, the Green-in-AI approach focuses on creating more efficient algorithms, whilst Green-by-AI uses AI itself to analyse large volumes of data and better address environmental challenges. “AI also has the potential to reduce energy and resource consumption, promote decarbonisation and drive the circular economy,” he adds.
Since its launch in 2024, the Chair has already been making an impact across a range of fields. It conducts cutting-edge research, building on a track record in which the University of A Coruña and CITIC have a strong history, and promotes training programmes such as an Expert Course in Green AI and micro-credentials designed to enable ICT professionals to specialise quickly.
Additionally, it collaborates with the public and private sectors to improve productivity and sustainability, promotes practical applications in areas such as energy efficiency and public services, and develops citizen science projects and outreach initiatives to bring AI closer to society and encourage scientific vocations, particularly among girls and women.
The Chair’s multidisciplinary team, renowned for its scientific excellence, consolidates the position of the Universidade da Coruña and CITIC as leaders in the field of sustainable Artificial Intelligence.
The award ceremony will take place on the 12th of June in Santiago de Compostela.
