Spanish inventors Granado, Sosa and Chimeno named People’s Choice winners at the Young Inventors Prize 2025 for smart labels reducing food waste
- The biodegradable smart labels that monitor food freshness in real-time by detecting compounds released during bacterial growth
- The People’s Choice winner was selected by online public vote from among the ten Young Inventors Prize winners
- The European Patent Office is awarding them EUR 10 000 for helping reduce food poisoning and unnecessary food waste
Munich/Reykjavik, 18 June 2025 – During a ceremony held today in Iceland, the European Patent Office (EPO) announced that Spanish entrepreneurs Pilar Granado (29), Pablo Sosa Domínguez (29) and Luis Chimeno (28) are the People’s Choice winners of the 2025 Young Inventors Prize, after ranking first in the public vote. Their innovation of smart labels that indicate food spoilage based on bacterial growth was selected by public vote for its potential to help reduce food waste and increase food safety, while promoting sustainability across the supply chain.
The trio are among ten winning individuals and teams of this year’s Young Inventors Prize, known as the Tomorrow Shapers, who receive EUR 5 000. From this group, an additional EUR 5 000 was awarded to Granado, Sosa and Chimeno following an online public vote. The EPO has also awarded today three special prizes: the World Builders prize to French-American chemist Marie Amélie Perrin, the Nature Guardians prize to US-based twin sisters Neeka and Leila Mashouf, and the Community Healers prize to Ugandan entrepreneurs Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita.
"We are very excited and grateful for the recognition! It is a motivational boost for us, as this award shows that we are on the right track and that our solution could really change the world, taking a positive step towards a more sustainable and safer supply chain for all", said the team.
Smart labelling to combat food waste
Food waste is a major global issue, and according to the European Commission (EC), in the EU alone, more than 59 million tonnes of food are discarded each year – much of it due to uncertainty about freshness. Granado, Sosa and Chimeno developed their smart labels to address this problem. By embedding intelligent indicators that react to compounds released by bacterial growth, the labels change colour based on freshness – from transparent (safe) to black (spoiled).
The three inventors met while studying biotechnology at Miguel Hernández University in Alicante, Spain. Living together helped strengthen both their personal and professional bonds, which ultimately led to the launch of their company, Oscillum, in 2019. “We focused on meat as our first product due to Pablo’s experience and its sensitivity, as well as its environmental impact,” they explained. “People often throw away meat and fish at the first sign of a strange smell. Our initial research focused on metabolomics and microbiology to understand what was happening with meat.”
Today, Oscillum continues to grow and diversify, offering both intelligent and active packaging solutions. “Since 2023, we’ve connected with a renowned Spanish research institute that specialises in packaging solutions,” they said. “We don’t just monitor what’s happening with the product—we can now also have an impact on it.”
The Young Inventors Prize celebrates worldwide innovators 30 and under using technology to address global challenges posed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The winners of the 2025 edition were announced today during a ceremony livestreamed from Iceland.
Find more information about the invention’s impact, the technology and the inventors’ stories here.
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About the Young Inventors Prize
Aimed at individuals 30 and under, the Young Inventors Prize showcases the transformative power of youth-driven solutions and recognises the remarkable young people paving the way to a more sustainable future. Established in 2022, trophies were first handed out during the European Inventor Award ceremony. As of 2025, the Prize has moved up a gear with its own dedicated event, held separately from the Award. Among the 10 Tomorrow Shapers selected for each edition, three receive special prizes: World Builders, Community Healers, and Nature Guardians. In addition, a People’s Choice winner is selected through an online public vote. Each Tomorrow Shaper receives EUR 5 000, while the three special prize winners are awarded an additional EUR 15 000. The People’s Choice winner also receives an extra EUR 5 000. Read more on the Young Inventors Prize eligibility and selection criteria.
About the EPO
With 6,300 staff members, 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 46 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.