The jury
The jury comprises former Young Inventors Prize and European Inventor Award finalists. The independent panel draws on their technical know-how and experience working on sustainability-driven initiatives to judge proposals. The jury is currently chaired by Wolfgang M. Heckl.
Wolfgang M. Heckl (Chair) is Director General of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, a position he has held since 2004. He holds the Oskar von Miller chair for science communication at the Technical University in Munich, where he researches molecular self-organisation in nanotechnology. Professor Heckl received the Communicator Prize from the German Science Foundation and was awarded the European Descartes Prize for Science Communication. He is the author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications and published a bestselling book, Die Kultur der Reparatur, in 2013.
Catia Bastioli is currently CEO of the Novamont Group, an international leader in the bioplastics and biochemicals sector, and former President of Terna, Europe's largest independent electricity transmission system operator (TSO). Over a career spanning 30 years, she has spearheaded research in the bioplastics field and served on European Union working groups on climate change, environment and renewable raw materials. In 2017, Catia was awarded the title Cavaliere del Lavoro by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic.
Khaoula Ben Ahmed is the co-founder and CEO of GEWINNER, a Tunisian startup that provides solutions for people living with a disability. Together with her team, she developed MOOVOBRAIN, an all-in-one smart driving system for powered wheelchairs that enables people with severe disabilities to navigate independently. MOOVOBRAIN has a life-changing impact on people who, ordinarily, would be entirely reliant on the assistance of a caregiver. With Khaoula at the helm, the company continues to grow and aims to use advanced technologies, such as deep learning, voice recognition and brain-machine interfaces, to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities.
Rafaella de Bona Gonçalves is a designer focussed on topics such as social innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability. While still a university student, she developed biodegradable sanitary products using readily available harvest waste. She designed these organic and versatile pads to reduce the impact of menstrual poverty on homeless women in Brazil. Rafaella has also delivered thought-provoking talks at TedX and exhibited her work at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum and at the Tomie Ohtake Institute.
Filipa de Sousa Rocha is a PhD student in informatics at the University of Lisbon, focusing on inclusive and accessible education. She is developing tools that help visually impaired and blind children learn essential spatial awareness and computational thinking skills. Her work includes four published papers on accessible programming, including "LEGOWorld," a project that adapts everyday objects to make learning more accessible. Filipa also created "ACCembly," a family-friendly, home-based tool that uses a robot, tactile blocks and guided activities to teach computational concepts collaboratively.
David Devos is a leading expert in the development of innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). With a medical degree in neurology and a doctorate in neuroscience, he is currently professor of medical pharmacology at the University of Lille, where he has been at the forefront of neuroscience research since 2006. David is co-founder of two biotech companies specialising in neurological therapeutic innovations: InBrain Pharma, which specialises in the cerebral perfusion of drugs, and InVenis Biotherapies, which develops platelet-based biotherapies.
Fionn Ferreira is a scientist, inventor and sustainability advocate dedicated to eradicating microplastics from water and driving the circular economy forward. He developed a magnet-based method to safely and efficiently extract microplastics from water. In addition to his ground-breaking inventions, Fionn is in-demand as a keynote speaker and has delivered presentation at the World Economic Forum, European Commission Research Conference and National Geographic Explorer’s Summit.
Valentyn Frechka is an entrepreneur and researcher with a passion for science, innovation and sustainability. He is also the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer at Releaf Paper, the world's first producer of pulp and paper made of green wastes. Borne from a school science project, the company's ground-breaking solution uses the fibres of fallen leaves to produce material for packaging. From its offices in Paris, the company provides sustainably made paper products to partners in 20 countries.
Rochelle Niemeijer is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Nostics, a company that uses nanotechnology, photonics and machine learning to develop new and advanced diagnostics solutions. The company is developing a pioneering device that can quickly identify the bacteria causing an infection. By enabling fast and accurate diagnoses, doctors can make better treatment decisions and tackle the ever-growing problem of antibiotic-resistant infections.
G. Fertram Sigurjonsson is an entrepreneur, inventor, unicorn founder, technology evangelist and oceans advocate. Having founded and served as CEO of companies in financial technology and renewable energy, he went on to found and is currently the CEO of Kerecis, a biotechnology company that uses fish skin to heal human wounds. The fish skin, a previously discarded byproduct of the fishing industry, is processed in Iceland using exclusively renewable energy. Kerecis became Iceland's first Unicorn when it was acquired by a Danish multinational company in 2023
G. Fertram Sigurjonsson, European Inventor Award 2023, Industry
Erin Smith is an entrepreneur and inventor of FacePrint, a screening tool that uses AI to analyse facial expressions that indicate the onset of Parkinson's. She has conducted research at Stanford, MIT, Harvard and UCSF. She was appointed a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute in 2021. Erin has over 40 academic publications, and her work has been recognised by the Thiel Fellowship, Wired Health Startup of the Year and Forbes 30 under 30.