The conference organised by the Spanish Association of Tunnels and Underground Works (AETOS) to commemorate its 50th anniversary took place in October 2024, made possible through the sponsorship and dedicated involvement of TYPSA in its planning, organisation, and execution. The conference was held at the School of Civil Engineering in Madrid, with the attendance of nearly 500 professionals, highlighting the great interest in tunnels and underground works, as well as in the activities of AETOS in this sector.
The main objectives of AETOS are to encourage the exchange of knowledge and experience among professionals in the sector, to promote research and innovation in the field of underground construction and to spread good practices and technological advances in this field. Among its main achievements are the organisation of numerous seminars and technical workshops, the publication of technical guides and the launch, in 2006, of the Master’s Degree in Tunnels and Underground Works.
Presentation of awards to the AETOS youth group (on the right Helena Castellví, in the centre Aida Santos)
The conference was attended by representatives of the administration, companies and institutions, both national and international, including the International Tunnel Association (ITA-AITES), of which Spain was the founding country. José Miguel Atienza, director of the School of Civil Engineering and the president of AETOS, Juan Pablo Villanueva, opened the conference, together with the intervention of the president of Adif, Luis Pedro Marco, and the Secretary General for Land Transport, Marta Serrano, who highlighted the role of tunnels as key infrastructures that have transformed our way of communicating and our mobility, with increasingly sustainable and safe solutions.
Pedro Ramírez, as vice-president of AETOS for international relations, presented the awards to representatives of Metro de Madrid and Madrid Calle 30, who have been included among the 50 tunnels considered iconic by the ITA, in whose achievements TYPSA has had a great participation, and in which the Puerto Maravilla tunnel corresponding to the applications submitted by Brazil was also included.
Fernando Díez during his presentation at the 7th session dedicated to Metro de Madrid
TYPSA, as a leading engineering and consulting company, has been an active member of AETOS since its inception, with a significant participation in the management of the association and in the development of the master’s degree, earning awards for Ángel Fernández-Aller, Pablo Bueno Tomás, and Fernando Díez Rubio for their professional career and dedication to their associative and teaching work.
In addition, TYPSA has 22 professionals registered as individual members, with an important presence in working groups and at national and international conferences and meetings. TYPSA’s participation in the master’s degree is of special importance. Students from 20 nationalities have gained this qualification, 13 of which are TYPSA engineers, following in the footsteps of José Luis Arévalo, who graduated as the top student in the first graduating class.
Jose Luis Arévalo during his speech on the panel dedicated to the AETOS Master’s degree programme in Tunnels and Underground Works
TYPSA’s participation in this event underlines its continued commitment to excellence and innovation in underground engineering and, as AETOS moves to new frontiers, TYPSA’s contribution will be essential to seize the opportunities and face the challenges that lie ahead in the coming years.
Some of our colleagues who attended the conference in front of the TYPSA stand
