QUEEN LETIZIA HIGHLIGHTS HUMAN INTELLIGENCE AMID THE RISE OF “AI” AT THE NATIONAL INNOVATION AND DESIGN AWARDS
Queen Letizia presided over a new edition of the National Innovation and Design Awards with a clear message on the value of human talent. In a context marked by rapid technological advances, the monarch reaffirmed intelligence as an irreplaceable driver of progress.
Queen Letizia presided on Thursday over the presentation of the 2024 and 2025 National Innovation and Design Awards at the Royal Palace of El Pardo, emphasizing that despite the rise of artificial intelligence, “human intelligence is irreplaceable.”
During her address, the Queen noted that AI “is a powerful tool in development that will be exceptional if used correctly,” but reminded the audience that only the human mind can “learn, think, act, remember, and feel.” Letizia stressed that technology should serve to enhance, not replace, human capabilities.
In a speech delivered without notes, the Queen praised the awardees, describing them as “a great map of Spanish excellence.” “Spain is many things of all kinds, but Spain is also you women and men with unique work, careers, and intelligence who have earned recognition from your country for innovating,” she stated.
The awards, granted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, honor individuals, companies, and institutions that have made innovation a central part of their professional and business growth. In total, 14 distinctions were presented across the two editions.
Among the recipients were Repsol, honored with the 2024 National Innovation Award for Large Innovative Company; Sepiia 2080 SL, recognized in the Small and Medium-Sized Business category; and Fertinagro Biotech SL, as Large Innovative Company in 2025. In the design category, Patricia Urquiola Hidalgo was recognized for her career, Diego Areso Nieva for his 2025 contribution, and young designer Miguel Leiro Fernández-Cuesta for the Young Design Professionals Award.
Other honorees included Marcos González Sanz, awarded as Young Innovative Talent, and Luis Felipe Serrano Pubul, recognized for his innovation career. Biolan Microbiosensores, Jesús María Hernández Galán, Cristina Aleixendri Muñoz, Viccarbe Habitat SL, and Sancal Diseño were also among those distinguished.
In her remarks, Letizia encouraged the winners to continue working “with enthusiasm, energy, and that great human intelligence, enhanced with the tools you deem necessary, to keep transforming and improving our lives.”
The ceremony took place in the same location where, 23 years ago, her engagement to the then Prince Felipe was announced a personal anniversary that added symbolic weight to the event. For the occasion, the Queen wore a cherry-red Massimo Dutti dress, a Spanish design she has donned six times and one of her clear favorites, complemented with Magrit accessories and Gold&Roses jewelry.
With this ceremony, Letizia reaffirmed her role as a champion of Spanish fashion and a defender of human talent in an era of accelerating technological transformation.