(ANS – Pamplona) – From June 16–18, 2026, the Salesian Vocational Training Center (VTC) in Pamplona hosted the Technical Days on Mechanization, which this year focused on the work that participating centers are carrying out as part of the Cunas que salvan vidas/Incunest (Cots that Save Lives/INCUNEST) project.

Teachers of mechanics and electrical-electronics from Salesian VTCs in Asturias, Vigo, Santander, Madrid, León, Logroño, Zaragoza, Burgos, Bilbao, Aranjuez, and Navarre took part in these technical days, during which they shared the work completed so far and discussed future possibilities for collaboration with the NGO Medicina Abierta al Mundo, led by Pablo Sánchez, the young man from Navarre who won the Princess of Girona Award for this project.

INCUNEST, the “Cots That Save Lives”

The project was launched at the Salesian Vocational Training Center in Pamplona in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently expanded to Salesian centers across Spain during the 2021–2022 academic year. In fact, about 15 Salesian centers throughout Spain have joined the project since then, and the 2026–2027 academic year is expected to be another milestone in its development.

Thanks to this Salesian-led initiative providing life-saving incubators for premature babies and infants requiring specialized care, more than 300 “life-saving cots” have already been produced and delivered to 37 countries around the world—primarily in African nations such as Senegal, Zambia, Chad, Mali, Cape Verde, Mozambique, the Congo, and Cameroon. The latest six incubators were taken last week by Alfonso Gordillo and Pablo Sánchez to refugee camps in the Sahara. The incubators have also reached Asia—including Turkey, Syria, and Nepal—and the Americas, including Nicaragua, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

There are numerous noteworthy aspects to this project. The incubators are low-cost, feature an innovative design, are made from affordable materials, and, above all, are produced in collaboration with students at Salesian vocational training centers. This approach helps form generations of young people who are both technically skilled and socially conscious.

During the presentation of the event, José Luis Villota Cosío, Principal of the Salesian Vocational Training Center in Pamplona, highlighted the importance of the project in sharing processes and methodology, as well as its educational value. He emphasized how it helps students recognize that they are part of a social initiative in which they do not simply learn to manufacture a product, but also understand that their work has tremendous significance for people they will likely never meet.

The meeting held over the past few days in Pamplona provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities each center has encountered in manufacturing the incubators and securing funding. Participants also explored ways to integrate the project into the academic curriculum and examined efforts to make it part of international mobility programs under the Erasmus framework.

Over the course of two and a half days, participating teachers received training on how to carry out the project and on the modifications that have been implemented to create an improved incubator model. They also discussed their needs and the specific approaches being used in each city to prepare and further strengthen the initiative for the coming academic year.

Finally, those attending the meeting took the opportunity to learn about several local companies active in the sector.

Source: Salesianos.info