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Esther Koplowitz has received the Gold
Medal from the Spanish Road Associa-
tion (SRA), the most prestigious distinction
granted by the non-profit organisation,
which was founded in 1949 and focuses on
promoting the use of roads. The SRA aims
to improve road safety, quality and capacity.
Through its chairman, Miguel María Muñoz,
recognises the work of Esther Koplowitz as
a businesswomen member of one of the
leading groups in the world in infrastructu-
res, water, services and energy. The panel
of judges also praised her sensitivity to so-
cial issues within the scope of her business
activity.
AEC also highlighted her altruism. She
is Chairwoman of the Esther Koplowitz
Foundation, which is dedicated primarily to
social work to help the needy. The Foun-
Esther Koplowitz
receives Gold Medal from
the Spanish Road Association
dation has built, outfitted and donated two
retirement homes for elderly people without
means: Nuestra Casa, in Collado Villalba
(Madrid) and La Nostra Casa, in Fort Pienc
(Barcelona); and also a home for adults with
mental and physical disabilities: La Nostra
Casa - Vall de la Ballestera (Valencia). It is
also currently building the El Despertar re-
sidence in Madrid for children with mental
disabilities.
Actions by the Foundation in the field of
research include building and equipping
the Esther Koplowitz Biomedical Research
Centre in Barcelona, where more than 350
scientists are researching cancer as well as
auto-immune and neurodegenerative di-
seases, among others; the centre seeks to
be a leader in its field in Europe.
The Foundation also donated a Da Vinci
precision surgery robot to Hospital Clínico
San Carlos (Madrid), which has been used
for over 1,000 operations to date.
The Foundation has also worked on a tac-
tile vision system with the Complutense
University of Madrid and has helped fund
other research programmes into diseases,
notably cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, drug
addiction and sclerosis.
Scholarships for students without
means
It has provided a large number of grants
to students without means and it built,
equipped and donated a centre for its grant
recipients, benefiting approximately 240
students each year since 2006. The Foun-
dation is financed exclusively by its founder
and chairwoman.
Esther Koplowitz has received numerous
awards and distinctions for her social work
and entrepreneurship, including the Grand
Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, the Gold
Medal of the Civil Order of Solidarity, the
Gold Medal of the Madrid Regional Go-
vernment, the Blanquerna award from the
Catalan Regional Government, the Golden
Medal of the Spanish Royal Academy of
History, and the Social and Corporate Res-
ponsibility award from the CCOO labour
union. In September 2007, she was named
Business Leader of the Year by the Spain-
US Chamber of Commerce at a ceremony
held in New York.
Other award-winners
Other awards presented at the event inclu-
ded the International Medal of Merit, which
was given to Abdullah Al-Mogbel, Chair-
man of the International Road Federation
(IRF) and Deputy Minister of Transport for
Roads in Saudi Arabia, in recognition of his