The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced the winners of the European Inventor Award 2022, its prestigious annual innovation prize, as well as the first-ever winners of the Young Inventors prize.
The winners of the European Inventor Award 2022 and the Young Inventors prize at the hybrid award ceremony on 21 June 2022. Credit: European Patent Office
The winners of the European Inventor Award 2022 and the Young Inventors prize at the hybrid award ceremony on 21 June 2022. Credit: European Patent Office
The individuals and teams were recognised for their contributions to innovation in a range of fields including medical technology, cancer research, energy storage, green industry, biotechnology, menstrual hygiene and waste management.
Winners were chosen from a pool of hundreds of innovators that were put forward for the Award. This year, the EPO launched a Young Inventors prize for innovators aged 30 and under, with the prize recognising technical solutions that work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals and have a positive impact on lives.
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"The breadth and depth of innovation honoured today is simply astounding! The European Inventor Award winners are shining a path forward to a more promising future. They have demonstrated tenacity, agility and perseverance as they have invested time, energy, resources and above all ingenuity and creativity to bring solutions to life. We applaud them for their groundbreaking work and the positive impact it bears on society," said EPO President António Campinos.
"This year... we introduced the Young Inventors prize to celebrate and showcase the promising capabilities of today's youth to tackle important challenges. These young inventors are raising the bar on what's possible and I commend them wholeheartedly."
The laureates of the European Inventor Award 2022 are:
Industry
Jaan Leis, Mati Arulepp and Anti Perkson (Estonia): Superior carbon-based materials for ultracapacitors
Estonian scientists Jaan Leis, Mati Arulepp and Anti Perkson optimised a material called curved graphene for use as an electrode in ultracapacitors, providing quick-charging, long-lasting energy sources for industry and electric cars.
Research
Claude Grison (France): Decontaminating polluted soils with metal-eating plants
French researcher Claude Grison developed a method of using plants to extract metal elements from polluted soil around mining sites. These are then used as ‘ecocatalysts' to make new molecules for the chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.
Non-EPO countries
Donald Sadoway (Canada/United States): Liquid metal batteries for storing renewable energy
Chemist Donald Sadoway developed a liquid metal battery to store solar and wind energy. These liquid metal batteries retain 99% of their original capacity over 5,000 charging cycles. Comprised of locally sourced raw materials, his battery also provides a cost-effective long-term storage solution.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Madiha Derouazi, Elodie Belnoue and team (Switzerland/France): Therapeutic vaccine platform to treat cancer
Together with their team, Swiss biotechnologist Madiha Derouazi and French immunologist Elodie Belnoue pioneered a new medical platform to make therapeutic cancer vaccines that help the immune system recognise and destroy cancer cells in the body of a patient.
Lifetime achievement
Katalin Karikó (Hungary/United States): Modified mRNA for lifesaving vaccines and therapies
Hungarian-American biochemist Katalin Karikó developed a way to modify messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) so it could be safely used in the human body, paving the way for its use in Covid-19 and other vaccines, as well as prospective therapies for cancer and heart disease.
Young Inventors prize
All the winners of the EPO’s first Young Inventors prize, at the hybrid European Inventor Award 2022 ceremony on 21 June 2022. Photo: European Patent Office.
All the winners of the EPO’s first Young Inventors prize, at the hybrid European Inventor Award 2022 ceremony on 21 June 2022. Credit: European Patent Office.
After several rounds of voting by the jury, no clear winner emerged, so the EPO declared a first-place tie. Each of the first-place winners will receive a cash prize of €20,000, while the runner-up will be awarded €10,000.
Victor Dewulf and Peter Hedley - first place (Belgium/United Kingdom): AI-driven waste management
From an initial prototype that operated with dumpster-dived trash and a treadmill bought from eBay, Victor Dewulf and Peter Hedley developed an AI-driven recognition and sorting system that waste facilities can use to quickly and accurately separate garbage, ensuring that more is recycled.
Erin Smith - first place (United States): AI brings earlier care to new Parkinson's patients
Inspired by YouTube videos of actor and Parkinson's patient Michael J. Fox, American student Erin Smith developed an AI-powered app that uses video footage to enable early detection of Parkinson's disease which could lead to earlier intervention to slow the development of the condition.
Rafaella de Bona Gonçalves - runner-up (Brazil): Biodegradable pads and tampons to combat period poverty
To tackle the widespread problem of period poverty, Rafaella de Bona Gonçalves developed biodegradable menstruation products for disadvantaged groups in her native Brazil using biodegradable fibres, such as Brazil's readily available banana harvest waste.
Popular Prize
Elena García Armada (Spain): World's first adaptable robotic exoskeleton for children
The Popular Prize, awarded to one of the 13 finalists through an online public vote, this year went to Spanish robotics engineer Elena García Armada. She invented the first adaptable exoskeleton for children who use wheelchairs, to help them walk during therapy and reduce muscle degradation. The Popular Prize is designed to honour the inventor or team of inventors that have impressed and inspired the general public with their inventions. García received the most votes from more than 23,000 votes cast online between 17 May and 21 June 2022.
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