Mª Ángeles Martín Prats awarded at the Meridiana Awards 2025

The Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Andalusian Women's Institute, organizes the Meridiana Awards as part of International Women's Day, commemorated every March 8th. Their purpose is to publicly recognize the achievements of individuals, groups, entities, or institutions that have contributed through their personal or professional lives to strengthening the presence and participation of women in all areas of society.

Mª Ángeles Martín Prats, Professor of Electronic Engineering at the Higher Technical School of Engineering of the University of Seville, has been recognized in this 2025 edition for her career in favor of equality, to end the gap in STEM careers. 

María Ángeles Martín Prats is the director of the Avionics aeronautical research line at the University of Seville, a Senior IEEE Fellow, and founder of the spin-off company Skylife Engineering. She is also the European University Coordinator for the European Defence Agency.

In 2011, he founded the spin-off Skylife Engineering to contribute to talent retention in our region. Headquartered in the Cartuja Science and Technology Park (PCT Cartuja), the company employs around 80 people and develops projects "to improve people's lives." Its activity focuses on avionics, power electronics, and the application of new electronic technologies and advanced design techniques to the development of systems and services for aerospace, naval, and other sectors. In 2024, Airbus made Skylife Engineering the first Spanish supplier for the Eurodrone, tasking it with developing the software loading system for the Eurodrone's avionics equipment.

She received the Medal of Civil Merit, awarded by King Felipe VI in 2015; and the Ada Byron Award for Women in Technology from the University of Deusto in 2018. She was a global finalist for the GEDC Airbus Diversity International Award in 2013, and has been recognized with the Cortes de Cádiz Award in 2015, among others.

These awards, which this year celebrate their 28th edition, have a profound institutional character and promote the feeling that Andalusian citizens are recognized by their institutions and those who represent them.

The Meridiana Awards enjoy great public significance and hold special meaning for the individuals and organizations honored. With these awards, the Andalusian Government champions equal rights and opportunities for women and men, while also advocating for true and effective equality as an essential requirement for continued progress towards a fairer, freer, and more egalitarian society.