26 April 2016
They make our lives safer and easier, challenge us to scale new heights and allow us to communicate faster. The 15 finalists for the European Inventor Award 2016, announced today by the EPO, have advanced technology, and helped generate economic value and employment in Europe and around the world. With this prestigious annual award, the EPO honours scientists, researchers and engineers in five categories whose inventions have been patented by the EPO and have contributed to technological progress, social development and economic growth.
The 11th edition of the award will be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 9 June, when the winners will be announced at a ceremony attended by prominent representatives of the worlds of politics, business, research and industry. One winner will be announced in each category, and once again, the public will select the winner of the Popular Prize, which will be decided by online voting in the run-up to the ceremony.
"The European Inventor Award showcases a diverse group of inventors - men and women from a wide range of countries and disciplines, whose innovations have had a positive effect on millions of lives," said EPO President Benoît Battistelli. "European patent protection helps foster this innovative diversity by maintaining conditions for inventors from around the world to realise their creativity, and ensuring that innovators, investors and entrepreneurs are able to benefit from their efforts."
The 15 finalists were selected by an independent international jury out of nearly 400 individuals and teams of inventors proposed for this year's award. The 2016 finalists hail from 13 countries: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Sweden, the UK and the US.
Their inventions cover a wide range of technological fields including automotive safety, biochemistry, communications, the environment, electronics, nutrition and medical technology. The inventions have all benefited from European patent protection, which has helped recoup R&D efforts, and bring the innovations to market.
The 2016 finalists in the five categories are:
