The event began with an institutional welcome by the Dean of the faculty, Anna Rio, who addressed words of gratitude and hope to the entire university community. In her speech, Anna Rio emphasized the importance of facing the challenges of the new academic year with collective energy and a spirit of collaboration, highlighting the essential role of the faculty, administrative and service staff, and students in building a quality public university.
After the Dean's speech, the Vice Dean for Business Relations and Transfer, René Serral, introduced the guest of the inaugural lecture, Jordi Romero, a former FIB student, founder, and current CEO of Factorial. Serral highlighted his career as an inspiring example for students, emphasizing his international experience and entrepreneurial ability.
Jordi Romero reviewed his professional journey, from his beginnings as a programmer to creating a company with thousands of clients and a strong international presence. He shared lessons on the importance of curiosity, perseverance, and ambition, and encouraged students to choose the difficult path, to learn from what they do not know, and to love what they do. Romero stressed that we are living through an unprecedented technological and social revolution, particularly driven by artificial intelligence, and invited future engineers to seize this unique moment to innovate, work intensely, and contribute to transforming the world with passion and creativity.
Next, the collaborating organizations were presented, and their awards and scholarships were handed out. First, Schneider Electric presented and awarded the Schneider Electric Award for the best academic record in the Master’s in Industrial Engineering (MEI).
Semidynamics awarded the Semidynamics in Chip Design and Semidynamics for Women in Chip Design scholarships.
Finally, the Department of Computer Architecture (DAC) awarded the “Nacho Navarro” Scholarship. This scholarship covers 50% of the student’s tuition fees during the first year of the master’s program, including both the first and second semesters. The award was presented by Professor Silvia Llorente Viejo.
The event continued with the recognition of staff who retired during the 2024-2025 academic year, a moment of celebration and gratitude for their dedication and contribution to FIB.
Finally, the institutional closing was delivered by Agustín Fernández Jiménez, Vice-Rector for Digital Strategy at UPC.
Wishing everyone a great 2025-2026 academic year!
