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European Inventor of the Year 2007
Twelve outstanding inventors nominated for Europe's top innovation prize
The nominees' successful inventions have strengthened Europe's technological and economic standing / The European Inventor of the Year 2007 awards will be presented on 18 April / Prize awarded jointly by the EU Commission and the European Patent Office
Munich/Brussels, 12 March 2007--
On 18 April 2007 the European Inventor of the Year awards will be presented at a gala event in Munich. This is the second time that outstanding inventors will be honoured with the award instituted by the EU Commission and European Patent Office (EPO). The finalists selected by an independent high-profile international jury have just been announced in the four categories: Industry, SMEs/Research, Non-European Countries and Lifetime Achievement. One in each category will receive the prestigious European innovation award from EU Commissioner Günter Verheugen and EPO President Alain Pompidou.
The awards recognise inventors and innovations that have made a significant and lasting contribution to technical development in Europe and beyond, and thus strengthened Europe's economic position. The inventions range widely from a patent that revolutionised the way pacemakers work and has helped save thousands of lives, to biodegradable plastics made of plant starch and an innovation that plays a key role in sensor technology. Since inventions are often the result of teamwork, teams as well as individuals were nominated.
To find out more about the European Inventor of the Year 2007, see
www.european-inventor.org
For further information, and accreditation and interview requests, please contact
Rainer Osterwalder
Director Media Relations
European Patent Office
Erhardtstr. 27 | D-80469 Munich
Tel. +49 (0)89 2399-1820
Fax +49 (0)89 2399-2850
Mobile +49 (0)163 8399 527
rosterwalder@epo.org
The nominees for the European Inventor of the Year 2007 award by category:
Industry
|
Name |
Organisation |
City, country |
Innovation |
|
Malcolm Begeman, Willem Boute, Marijn van Gamert |
Deam Corp. |
Amsterdam , Netherlands |
Pacemaker that automatically adjusts to patients' heart-rate changes over the course of the day |
|
Prof. Hans Meixner |
Siemens AG |
Munich , Germany |
Piezo direct injection: optimised fuel supply for automobile engines |
|
Dr Franz Lärmer |
Robert Bosch GmbH |
Stuttgart , Germany |
"Bosch process" revolutionised the manufacture of micro-structures in sensors esp. for automotive safety engineering |
SMEs/Research
|
Name |
Organisation |
City, country |
Innovation |
|
Hakan Lans |
GP & C Systems International AB |
Saltsjöbaden , Sweden |
STDMA data link to determine the precise position of aircraft and ships |
|
Prof. Karlheinz Schmidt |
Gomaringen , Germany |
Tissue engineering |
|
|
Dr Catia Bastioli |
Novamont S.p.a. |
Novara , Italy |
Biodegradable plastics made of water-insoluble starch |
Non-European Countries
|
Name |
Organisation |
City, country |
Innovation |
|
Prof. Shuji Nakamura |
University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) |
Santa Barbara/CA, USA |
Blue LEDs |
|
Shigeo Nakanishi |
Astellas Pharma Inc. |
Tokyo , Japan |
Intravenous injection of Tacrolimus, an immuno-suppressant used for organ-transplant recipients |
|
Dr Joseph P. Vacca, Katharine Holloway, Bruce D. Dorsey, Randall W. Hungate, James P. Guare
|
Merck Research Laboratories |
West Point/PA, USA |
Crixivan, a protease inhibitor to fight the HIV virus |
Lifetime Achievement
|
Name |
Organisation |
City, country |
Innovation |
|
Sir Alec Jeffreys |
University of Leicester |
Leicester, GB |
DNA fingerprint |
|
Prof. Tim Lüth |
Technische Universität München |
Garching , Germany |
Surgical robots |
|
Prof. Marc Feldman |
Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology |
London , GB |
Treatment of autoimmune disease through findings on the role of cytokines |