Ericsson and the University of Málaga (UMA) hosted the awards ceremony for the 2025/2026 edition of the Hilda Ericsson Awards of the Lamarr Chair Challenge – a competition created by Ericsson and UMA in 2021 under the Lamarr Women and Technology Chair. This year’s edition challenged young students to harness the power of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform their surroundings and communities.
The ceremony marks the culmination of an intensive training and mentoring journey, during which participants worked directly alongside experts at the forefront of technology and innovation.
This year’s entries stood out for their practical ambition and social relevance. Finalists developed AI-powered solutions addressing highly relevant challenges:
Deliver personalized academic and career guidance through intelligent applications
Promote more sustainable tourism that puts rural areas on the map
Foster concrete action plans to tackle digital isolation among young people.
Other projects harnessed technology to combat unwanted loneliness in older adults through accessible voice assistants, and to reduce household food waste through smart pantry management.
These projects are the result of a sustained process in which participants received talks from experts at Ericsson’s R&D center in Málaga and from other companies, alongside mentoring support from university researchers.
Juan Olivera, President of Ericsson Spain, highlighted the impact of the initiative: “Málaga is not only the place from which we develop and export advanced mobile AI technology to the world, it is also where we are nurturing the talent that will lead the next digital revolution. This year’s challenge demonstrates that Generative AI, in the hands of these young women, is a powerful force for the common good.”
The Challenge’s awards ceremony counted with the participation of Ana Palacios, Director General of Data (Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence), and Enrique Nava, Vice Rector for Mobility and International Projects at the University of Málaga, who, along with representatives from Ericsson, the students and their families, led an event that highlights the city’s role as a leading technology hub and the Chair’s role as an initiative with a significant impact on Málaga’s innovation ecosystem and a national benchmark.
Ana Palacios said: “At the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, we recognize that science—and today data, are not neutral. They rely on who designs them, the purposes they serve, and the values they embody. That’s why we advocate for broader representation of women, greater diversity, and a stronger scientific perspective in decision-making roles.”
Increasing Women Representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
The latest UMA enrolment figures reflect a positive and sustained trend, validating the shared commitment of Ericsson and the University of Málaga to inspire and promote technology disciplines among women talent. According to UMA’s own data, since the 2020–2021 academic year, female representation in engineering programs has risen from 21.1% to 25%.
This growth is particularly striking in degrees that are central to the digital economy:
In the Telematic Engineering degree, the proportion of female students has more than doubled, rising from 9.9% to 21.3%.
In the Software Engineering degree, female enrolment has similarly grown from 11.2% to 21.6%.
In the Telecommunications Systems degree, women now represent 25.0% of students, up from 17.1%.
Mari Carmen Aguayo Torres, Director of the Hedy Lamarr Chair, reflected on these results: “Since the 2020/2021 academic year, we have seen sustained growth in the number of women enrolling. Crossing the 25% threshold is a milestone that shows outreach work genuinely makes a difference. But we are not stopping here, our goal for the coming years is to reach 30%, and bringing real technology projects into the classroom is absolutely key to getting there.”
These figures not only signal a shift in the academic landscape but reinforce the shared determination of UMA and Ericsson to build a truly inclusive talent ecosystem at the heart of Málaga’s technology community.
Málaga: A Hub for advanced AI innovation in mobile networks
Ericsson’s R&D center in Málaga, which leads the company’s involvement in the Hedy Lamarr Women and Technology Chair, is one of Ericsson’s two global research and development hubs in Spain. From this location, a team of around 230 world-class professionals develop cutting-edge innovations for mobile network operators around the world, shaping the networks of today and the future.
The Málaga R&D center is at the forefront of research in artificial intelligence and cognitive software, pioneering new approaches to automating, managing and optimizing mobile networks.
