The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is celebrating 28 entrepreneurs from across Europe nominated for the EIT Awards 2020. These outstanding innovators have been nominated for their endurance and creativity, recognising their ground-breaking products and services accelerating Europe’s transition to a greener, healthier, and more digital future.
This year’s Awards ceremony will be held virtually on 8 and 9 December, showcasing the achievements of successful graduates, entrepreneurs and innovators supported by the EIT Community. The EIT Awards highlight the entire innovation pipeline powered by the EIT, from student to entrepreneur, from lab to market, and from idea to solutions for Europe. This dynamic innovation approach creates a unique environment where nominees develop and scale innovative solutions to tackle pressing global challenges in the fields of climate, energy, digitalisation, food, health, manufacturing, mobility and raw materials.
The EIT Awards 2020 nominees show the EIT Community’s diversity, with many backgrounds represented: Belgium (1), Denmark (2), France (1), Germany (5), Hungary (2), Italy (1), Netherlands (2), Poland (1), Portugal (2), Spain (4), Sweden (2), Switzerland (3), and the United Kingdom (2). The full list of nominees and their innovations can be found here.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth says, ‘Through the EIT, the EU invests in its brightest innovators as they help to create a greener, healthier, and more sustainable society for Europe’s citizens. The nominees for this year’s Awards are based in 13 countries and are a testament to the EIT’s ability to identify and drive the most promising innovation projects. I congratulate them all on reaching this stage and I look forward to the EIT Awards 2020 ceremony in December.’
Gioia Ghezzi, Chair of the EIT Governing Board, says, “This year’s EIT Awards not only recognise the impressive achievements of the innovators we support, but also their resilience during these difficult times. This year’s innovations range from new, more sustainable technologies to health care diagnostics and smart data analysis across sectors. The EIT Award nominees embody what Europe needs to face its current challenges: innovators who can quickly mobilise to transform ideas into pragmatic solutions.”
The 28 nominees will compete in the following four categories that represent the driving dynamics of entrepreneurship in Europe:
- EIT CHANGE Award, recognising top graduates from EIT entrepreneurial education programmes.
- EIT Innovators Award, highlighting teams and individuals that have developed high-impact products and services.
- EIT Venture Award, showcasing start-ups and scale-ups that have benefited from business acceleration and creation support by the EIT Community.
- EIT Woman Award, putting the spotlight on inspiring female entrepreneurs and leaders.
Each award comes with a monetary prize of EUR 50,000 (first place), EUR 20,000 (second place), and EUR 10,000 (third place). The public will also be able to have its say with the fifth category, the EIT Public Award, giving everyone a chance to vote for their top innovation. Online voting will commence on 16 November at eitawards.eu.
The final selection of nominees will pitch their innovations publicly online on 8 December, and the winners of the five categories will be announced in a live award ceremony on 9 December.
