Young Inventors Prize winners celebrated in Iceland
The European Patent Office (EPO) honoured the winners of the 2025 Young Inventors Prize during a ceremony streamed from Reykjavík, Iceland.
The event recognised inventors aged 30 and under for their outstanding contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Viewers from across the globe joined as German youth television presenter Benedikt Weber teamed up with 13-year-old French student Capucine Auffret, the voice of a new generation, for an inspiring ceremony and a journey through future-shaping technologies. If you were unable to follow the ceremony live, a recording is linked below.
An independent jury selected ten inventors or teams aged 30 and under, known as the “Tomorrow Shapers”, from around 450 global candidates. From this group, three received additional recognition through special prizes: World Builders, Community Healers and Nature Guardians, with a People’s Choice winner decided by public vote.
Special prize winners 2025
World Builders
Marie Perrin (US/France): Recycling rare earth elements from electronic waste
Community Healers
Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita (Uganda): Sachets for extending the shelf life of fruit
Nature Guardians
Neeka Mashouf and Leila Mashouf (US): Process to transform CO2 emissions into essential materials
People’s Choice
Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and Luis Chimeno (Spain): Smart labels for food
Each Tomorrow Shaper received EUR 5 000, with the special prize winners awarded an additional EUR 15 000. The People's Choice winner received a further EUR 5 000.
The European Inventor Award 2026: call for nominations
This year marked a milestone as the Young Inventors Prize was held for the first time as a standalone event, separate from the European Inventor Award. Going forward, the two will alternate annually – celebrating both emerging talent and more established inventors.
In 2026, the European Inventor Award returns, with Berlin hosting the ceremony and our new premises in the city taking part in the celebrations.. Nominations are now open, and we invite you to help spotlight inventors whose innovations are driving progress across Europe and beyond. Learn more and submit your proposals via the links below.
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