An Emerging Talent Award has been presented to a University of Oxford professor for his work on the mechanics of materials.

The Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU) and the Banco Santander Foundation awarded the SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent Award 2024 to professor Emilio Martínez-Pañeda.

His research focuses on understanding and predicting how materials behave under extreme conditions.

His team uses advanced computer simulations to make structures safer and more durable, especially in harsh environments.

Research taking place in his lab is helping to develop better ways to safely store and transport hydrogen, extend the life of wind turbines, and create more efficient batteries.

Professor Martínez-Pañeda said: "I feel very honoured and humbled to receive this award, the list of previous awardees is very impressive and Spain is very well represented in the UK scientific community."

His research has improved the understanding of hydrogen embrittlement, corrosion modelling, and the development of all-solid-state batteries, and his work is already being used in industries such as offshore wind energy and nuclear power.

Professor M. Carmen Galán is the chair of the scientific committee, which is composed of internationally recognised researchers and which judged the 12 nominations.

He said: "Emilio is an outstanding researcher in the fields of materials science and computational modelling, his scientific contributions and service to the community set him apart from his peers and make him a worthy winner of this prestigious recognition."