The road to the Award

Applications are now open for the prestigious Award that celebrates groundbreaking technological advancements and highlights the individuals’ driving innovation for a better future. This Award showcases inspiring ideas and underscores the crucial role inventors play in shaping a smarter and more sustainable world. You have the opportunity to contribute to one of Europe’s most esteemed innovation prizes by nominating your favorite inventor.

The European Inventor Award is one of the most respected competitions globally, honoring the inventiveness of individuals worldwide who utilize their technical, scientific, and intellectual expertise to make significant contributions to technological advancement and economic development, ultimately enhancing people’s daily lives. To be eligible for this award, candidates must meet the following criteria:

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Eligibility

• An inventor must have been granted at least one European patent for their invention by the European Patent Office.
• The patent must be valid in at least one European Patent Office member state, with the exception of the Lifetime Achievement category.
• The patent should demonstrate a high level of innovation, provide a clear societal or environmental benefit, and exhibit proven or potential economic success in Europe.
• Inventors nominated in the Industry, Research, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), and Lifetime Achievement categories must be citizens of one of the 39 member states of the European Patent Office. Inventors from countries outside the European Patent Office’s member states can only be nominated in the Non-EPO countries category.
• Nominations for the European Inventor Award are open to inventions in all technological fields for which a European patent can be granted.

Ineligible submissions will be disregarded under the following circumstances:

• The patent has not yet been officially granted by the European Patent Office (EPO).
• The pertinent patent is currently undergoing opposition or appeal proceedings.
• The relevant patent is within a nine-month period during which opposition can be filed.
• The patent has been invalidated or revoked.
• The patent has expired or become invalid in all member states of the European Patent Office.
• The inventor has previously been a finalist or a winner in a prior European Inventor Award competition (please refer to the list of past finalists and A list of finalists will be made public on the official competition website and in various publications related to the Award.

Benefits

• A list of finalists will be made public on the official competition website and in various publications related to the Award.
• All finalists will receive an invitation to the European Inventor Award ceremony, which could be held either online or in a physical location. Details regarding the date and venue will be announced in due course.
• If applicable, the costs for travel and accommodation will be covered by the event organizer.
• Each winner in their respective category will receive a trophy and a winner’s certificate.
• All other finalists will be presented with a certificate acknowledging their nominations.
• Finalists and winners will be featured on the European Inventor Award pages on the European Patent Office (EPO) website and across various EPO internal and external communication channels. Media partners collaborate with the EPO each year, ensuring that finalists and winners receive extensive coverage through newsletters, promotional materials, and multimedia content designed to promote the Award and their nominations. Additionally, information about the company, the inventors, the selected invention, and its patent may be included in press kits for specialized media and may be used in other promotional activities organized by the EPO.
• The Popular Prize winner is determined by the public through a voting process on the day when the finalists are announced. The Popular Prize is awarded to the finalist who receives the highest number of votes from the public.

Application Process

• Applicants are required to submit their entries using the online application form, which can be accessed on the EPO website at www.epo.org/nominate.
• Entries can be submitted either by the inventor themselves or by any other individual, organization, or institution that wishes to propose an inventor.
• It is possible to apply for various award categories, but each category can only be applied to once.
• The period for submitting entries is open from March 6th to October 1st, 2023.
• There is no fee for entering the competition.
• Entries that do not include the necessary information as outlined in the rules will not be considered, and the applicants will be notified accordingly.
• The organizer may request additional evidence or supplementary information provided in the entry form.
• The submission of an entry signifies complete and unconditional acceptance of all the rules and regulations of the competition.

Click here to apply

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