Two projects showcasing talent and the application of engineering to tackle new challenges have been recognised in the 2026 edition of the Best Final Degree Project Award by the Official College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Vigo (Coitivigo), in collaboration with the School of Industrial Engineering at the University of Vigo (UVigo).
The awards celebrate academic, technical, and professional excellence among graduates while strengthening ties between the university, the profession, and industry. This year, the honours went to Joel Cruz Cadaya, a graduate from the Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering programme, in the general category, and Clara María Domínguez Iglesias, in the classic engineering projects category.
Coitivigo highlighted that the awarded final degree projects exemplify two approaches to applying engineering to better understand how the human body functions. Joel Cruz Cadaya received the general award for a project that utilised computer simulations to study how inhaled medication particles travel and where they deposit within a model of the human respiratory system. His work analyses the influence of particle size and inhalation flow, aiding in understanding the conditions that facilitate deeper lung penetration.
In the classic engineering projects category, which recognises final degree projects from students in programmes leading to regulated professional status as industrial technical engineers, the award was presented to Clara María Domínguez Iglesias. The Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering graduate developed a functional prototype of a wireless sensor that records acceleration, rotation, and changes in body orientation. This project combines electronics, programming, and mechanical design, laying the groundwork for a future system of multiple sensors to analyse movement during sports activities.
Both awardees will receive a monetary prize of 600 euros and a certificate of recognition.
