Malaga University students compete for 6,000-euro prize and summer at Google in AI and cybersecurity competition

The cybersecurity chair of Malaga University (UMA) has launched a competition that will recognise the five best projects developed by students that "effectively combine cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI)".

The award includes a 6,000-euro prize and "access for two months (July and August) to Google's offices in Malaga, with unlimited computing and AI resources". Students will retain intellectual and industrial property rights to their work.

The mastermind behind the competition is Bernardo Quintero, founder of VirusTotal.

"If we want Malaga and Spain to lead in AI, we have to stop talking about innovation and start building it," Quintero says.

For just over a year, he has stepped back from team leadership and focused on driving innovation projects related to AI and cybersecurity from within Google. Quintero has the UMA as an ally in this initiative.

The first example of this strategy is Omnia, a project young engineers developed in the "basement" of Google Málaga. They were recruited by the cybersecurity chair, and it has recently become an independent company and won a national computer engineering award.

Each of the five winning participants will receive a personal and non-transferable grant of 6,000 euros. The true added value for the students lies in the opportunity to bring their ideas to life at GSEC Málaga's facilities.

They will have access to advanced computing resources and AI tools, personalised mentoring and follow-up sessions led by Google experts. The goal is that, by the end of the summer, each project will have achieved a first minimum viable product (MVP), a functional prototype or a technically demonstrable proof of concept.

Applications must be submitted to any of the UMA's general registry offices before 2pm on Monday, 6 July 2026.

To be eligible for the competition, applicants must be enrolled in an official undergraduate, Master's or doctoral programme at the UMA during the 2025/2026 academic year, although students enrolled in institution-specific degrees will also be considered.

Applications may be submitted individually or as a team. In the latter case, the team must have an official representative. Along with the registration form and a copy of the applicant's identification document, applicants must submit a project proposal (five to ten pages recommended), a feasible work plan, the CVs of the participants and a declaration of originality and availability.

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