Rotary Club Elche Illice has presented its 2025-2026 Research Award to a pioneering project applying artificial intelligence (AI) to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in Elche. The award, which includes a €2,000 prize, was presented during the XXVI Charity Gala, an event held in support of the NGO Cirugía Solidaria and attended by over 300 people.

The winning project, titled “RCP Elche: Health Education through Artificial Intelligence for Learning Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the General Population,” was selected from approximately fifteen local proposals. It is led by Pablo Serna Berná and a team of six healthcare professionals.

The initiative aims to provide citizens with basic CPR knowledge, thereby reducing response times in cases of cardiac arrest through accessible digital tools.

The project integrates public signage with QR codes linking to interactive educational videos and an AI system that locates the nearest automated external defibrillator (AED) in real-time. The tool has already shown high public acceptance, receiving an initial rating of 8.3 out of 10, reinforcing its potential for implementation in the municipality.

The award ceremony gathered over 300 attendees, solidifying its status as one of the city's most established charity events. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales and a raffle was donated to Cirugía Solidaria.

Cirugía Solidaria, founded in 2000, operates in vulnerable areas with limited access to medical care. In its 25-year history, it has conducted over 18,000 consultations and approximately 6,000 surgical interventions. The gala underscored the link between innovation, health, and social action, highlighting technology's key role in health education and emergency response.