EIT 2020 to be held to celebrate green innovation

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)  is set to celebrate 28 entrepreneurs from across Europe for dedication to innovating and accelerating Europe's green future in a virtual ceremony to be held on December 8-9.

The ceremony will showcase the achievements of successful graduates, entrepreneurs and innovators supported by the EIT community and the wider EU.

The 2020 awards will look at entries from several nations including Belgium, Switzerland, the UK, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany and Poland.

Nominees include:

  1. Al-TraWell by Bani Arwani (UK): a chatbot for smartphones that recommends alternate travel routes based on the user's health and wellbeing.
  2. geoFootprint by Xavier Bengoa (Switzerland): a web tool that combined satellite imagery and geospatial data to generate maps that give instant access to the environmental footprint of agricultural crops.
  3. Zero Defects 4.0 by Ana Machado Silva (Portugal): a data-driven support system that improves manufacturing decision making and ensures a consistent quality of production.
  4. Stockholm Water Technology by Karthik Lamam Kunjali (Sweden): water purification technology which can be applied across multiple sectors (industrial, commercial and domestic).

There are four main awards up for grabs: The EIT Change Award, the EIT Innovation Award, the EIT Venture Award and the EIT Woman Award.

Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth said: ‘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, said: ‘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.’

Online voting will commence on November 2016.

The EIT is an independent EU body formed in 2008 to strengthen business innovation in Europe.

It is a key part of Horizon 2020, the EU's platform for technology and innovation.


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