Outstanding inventors from France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and the US honoured with European Inventor Award 2018
- European Patent Office recognises inventors for exceptional achievements in the fields of automotive technology, materials science, medical imaging, medical technology and lasers
- Swiss physicist Ursula Keller honoured in the Lifetime achievement category for significantly advancing ultrafast pulsed laser technology
- Agnès Poulbot and Jacques Barraud† (France); Jens Frahm (Germany); Esther Sans Takeuchi (United States); Jane ní Dhulchaointigh and team (Ireland) are winners in the other four categories
- Following a public vote, Erik Loopstra (Netherlands) and Vadim Banine (Netherlands/Russia) take home the Popular Prize for their invention of a method to make smaller, more powerful microchips
- Record number of women inventors among the winners
- EPO President Benoît Battistelli: "The extraordinary achievements of these inventors have made their mark on industries, improved our lives, and opened up opportunities that others could never have imagined."
Paris, Saint-Germain-en-Laye/Munich, 7 June 2018 - The European Patent Office (EPO) announced the winners of the European Inventor Award 2018 at a ceremony today in Paris, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, attended by some 600 guests from the areas of politics, business, intellectual property, science and academia. The winners come from seven countries (France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia and the US), and include four women, the highest number ever in the history of the Award. The annual Award honours individuals and teams who with their inventions have helped to advance technology, further social and economic development, and generate employment. The winners were chosen by an independent international jury from more than 500 individuals and teams of inventors put forward for this year's Award.
"The inventiveness and creativity of this year's European Inventor Award winners highlight Europe's attractiveness as a prime technology region for scientists and inventors from all over the world," said EPO President Benoît Battistelli at the Award ceremony. "I am particularly pleased to see that this year's edition recognises the strong contribution of women inventors in many fields traditionally dominated by men. Through their achievements all of these individuals have made their mark on a range of industries, and opened up opportunities that others could never have imagined. They are helping to make transportation more environmentally friendly, allowing us to reduce waste and powering life-saving medical implants. Their inventions drive manufacturing and medical processes, enable us to look inside the human body for medical diagnosis and even measure physical laws at the tiniest scales."
The winners of the European Inventor Award 2018 are:
Industry
Agnès Poulbot and
Jacques Barraud† (France)
"Auto-regenerating" tyre tread
French inventors Agnès Poulbot and Jacques Barraud
developed a 3D tyre-tread design that not only increases tyre durability and
performance, but significantly decreases fuel consumption and carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions. The design saves around 3 tonnes of CO2 over
100 000 kilometres of travel and is marketed by French tyre company
Michelin, which expects tyres incorporating the auto-regeneration technology to
comprise 30% of the company's heavy-duty tyre sales by 2022.
Research
Jens Frahm (Germany)
Faster, real-time MRI
The widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a medical diagnostic
tool is thanks in large part to German biophysicist Jens Frahm. He developed the
fast low angle shot (FLASH) scanning technique that accelerated MRI scan speeds
by a factor of 100 and made MRIs practical for clinical application. He has
since brought MRI technology into the video age. Frahm's
FLASH platform has been the Max Planck Society's most successful patent asset.
Non-EPO countries
Esther Sans Takeuchi (United States)
Batteries to reset the heart
Chemical
engineer Esther Sans Takeuchi invented the compact batteries that power most
implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs). Used by millions of
patients, ICDs greatly reduce incidence of heart attack by delivering
life-saving shocks. Her design extended battery life significantly and reduced
the frequency of battery replacement surgeries for patients already at risk due
to heart problems. The lithium/silver
vanadium oxide battery is just one of Sans Takeuchi's
150 patents, making her one of the US's most prolific women inventors.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Jane ní
Dhulchaointigh and team (Ireland)
Sugru: multi-purpose mouldable glue
Irish product designer Jane ní Dhulchaointigh and her
team have developed a malleable multi-purpose glue that combines the strength
of a super glue with the pliability of rubber. Named after the Irish word for
play, ní Dhulchaointigh's adhesive, Sugru, is the result of more than 8 000
hours of research in the lab and opens up new possibilities to repair and personalise
everyday items. Sugru is helping change the way we think about our possessions
and the waste generated when we simply discard and replace them.
Popular Prize
Erik Loopstra (Netherlands) and Vadim Banine
(Netherlands/Russia)
EUV lithography for smaller, more powerful microchips
Dutch systems
engineer Erik Loopstra and
Dutch-Russian physicist Vadim Banine were picked by the public in an
online poll to receive this year's Popular Prize for their development of
extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) manufacturing technology, which uses
high-energy lasers to achieve nanoscale details, thereby producing smaller,
faster and more powerful semiconductors. Thanks
to Loopstra and Banine and their research
and engineering teams, the
next generation of microprocessors is being produced with European hi-tech.
They received the most votes from among the thousands cast online by the public
from 24 April until 3 June.
Lifetime achievement
Ursula Keller (Switzerland)
Ultrafast pulsed lasers
Swiss physicist Ursula Keller developed the SESAM mirror, a convenient and
practical method for turning continuous laser light into ultra-fast laser
pulses. Her method is the leading technology for commercial
ultra-fast lasers that are used in many manufacturing and medical applications.
Over a 30-year career, Keller has continued to advance laser science through
more compact, efficient and powerful designs which are instrumental in fields
ranging from scientific research to telecommunications and consumer
electronics.
Note to editors: availability of AV and photo materials on 7 June 2018 |
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About the European Inventor Award
The European Inventor Award is one of Europe's most prestigious innovation prizes. Launched by the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2006, it honours individual inventors and teams of inventors whose pioneering work provides answers to some of the biggest challenges of our times. To qualify for the award, proposals have to meet specific criteria, including that the inventor had to have been granted at least one European patent for their invention by the EPO. The finalists and winners in five categories are selected by an independent jury consisting of international authorities in the fields of business, politics, science, academia and research, who examine the proposals in terms of their contribution towards technical progress, social development, economic prosperity and job creation in Europe. The winner of the Popular Prize is chosen by the general public from among the 15 finalists by online voting in the run-up to the ceremony. This year's 15 finalists were selected from more than 500 proposals - the highest number ever put forward for the award.
About the EPO
With around 7 000 staff, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 44 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.
Contacts at the EPO in Munich, Germany
Jana Mittermaier
Director External Communication
Rainer Osterwalder
Press Spokesperson
EPO press
desk
Tel: +49 (0)89 2399 1820
Mobile: +49 163 8399527
[email protected]