Researcher Celia Rogero, winner of the EMAKUMEEKINN 2026 award

• San Sebastián highlights the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of leading women, emphasizing their leadership and transformative capacity.
• The awards also recognize local companies that promote female talent and innovation, consolidating a business model committed to equality.

Celia Rogero y Ane Oyarbide

Celia Rogero, director of the CSIC-EHU Materials Physics Center, Bella Bowring, a London entrepreneur based in San Sebastián, co-owner and manager of Gerald’s Bar restaurant, and Multiverse Computing, a company specializing in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, were the women and companies honored with the EMAKUMEEKINN award, a recognition that San Sebastián gives to women and companies that contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and the promotion of innovation in the city on International Women’s Day.

The award is given in three categories: female researcher promoting STEAM vocations, female entrepreneur building the city, and company committed to innovation and female talent. This year’s awards included the participation and nominations of entities such as Aspegi, Emakumeak Zientzian, SShops, and AEHG.

The awards were presented by the Councilor for Economy and Local Employment, Ane Oyarbide, and the Managing Director of Fomento de San Sebastián, Iñigo Olaizola, at the EKINN building, the entrepreneurship and innovation hub that celebrated its second anniversary on February 26, and which was also attended by women and organizations recognized in previous editions. In the words of Ane Oyarbide: “Equal opportunities are a matter of justice, but also a driver of innovation and competitiveness for our city; when we create real opportunities, women lead and transform San Sebastián, moving towards a more innovative, inclusive city with a brighter future.”

The event brought together numerous personalities and entities committed to promoting female talent, such as Juana Goizueta (EHU), Jon Alberdi (ViveBIOTECH), Ana Fernández (BCBL), Idoia Azaldegui (BERC Polymat), Leire Madariaga (Tecnalia), Itziar Vergara (IIS Biogipuzkoa), Ricardo Díez Muiño (DIPC), Iratxe Pascual (Aspegi), Jakeline Barker (Jaikunde), and Nerea Rodríguez (ShopSS).

For the Councilor for Economy and Local Employment, Ane Oyarbide, “awards such as Emakumeekinn are an opportunity to highlight and recognize the talent of women who, through hard work, creativity, and vision, are transforming our society and our economy. Women who have been able to break down barriers, pave the way, and become role models for many others. Equal opportunities are not only a matter of social justice, they are also a driver of innovation and competitiveness for the city. We know that challenges remain, but we also see clear progress: more and more women are becoming entrepreneurs, leading projects, and generating new opportunities. At San Sebastián City Council and Fomento San Sebastián, we want to continue supporting this talent and entrepreneurial drive. When real opportunities are created, women step forward and contribute to building a more innovative, inclusive city with a brighter future

Celia Rogero: An outstanding female researcher who promotes STEAM careers

Director of the Center for Materials Physics (CFM), a joint CSIC-UPV/EHU center.
Celia Rogero is a leading physicist in the field of nanoscience and materials science, with a solid research career that began at the Autonomous University of Madrid and has continued at centers of international excellence such as the Max Planck Institute and the Fritz Haber Institute, as well as the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid.

Her career combines cutting-edge research—backed by numerous scientific publications and awards for her doctoral thesis—with outstanding institutional leadership as director of the Center for Materials Physics (CFM) in San Sebastián.

This recognition is awarded for her research excellence in nanoscience, her management and scientific leadership skills, and her firm commitment to promoting STEAM vocations, especially among women, through academic and outreach activities that contribute to raising the profile of female talent in a field where new role models are needed.