Eureka to host innovation awards in Portugal

At this year’s Global Innovation Summit in Estoril, Portugal, on 22-23 June, we will be presenting five Eureka innovation awards to organisations for the ground-breaking products, processes or services developed during a Eureka project. 

Between 1 and 29 April, your national funding body will nominate two organisations for each of our five award categories:

Best Product and Service Innovation

This is our star award for projects that developed an outstanding product, process or service that has had a positive impact on economies, the environment or society. We will award this prize to a project for its incremental, disruptive, or radical innovation. We will be evaluating how your R&D results have benefitted communities locally, internationally or within a specific industry. 

Best Sustainability Innovation

This category is for long term solutions to combat climate change. Winning R&D project results may contribute to (for example) preserving natural resources, improving renewable energy devices, decarbonising or the circular economy and smart cities.

Best Thematic Innovation (space-ocean-earth systems)

This year, our Best Thematic Innovation award is for space-ocean-earth systems. We will be scouting for projects that integrate space, ocean and earth observation technologies to help predict climate change scenarios. 

Best Woman in Leadership

Are you a woman founder, co-founder, CEO, Chief Technology Officer or head of R&D at an organisation that led a Eureka project? This award is a celebration of the successful women in a sector that traditionally has a gender imbalance. 

Best Portuguese Project

Portugal currently hold Eureka’s Chairmanship, so this award spotlights Portuguese organisations that led a Eureka project. The award will be gifted to a project that has resulted in increased international cooperation, R&D capacity and participation in global value chains for the Portuguese organisation. Up to 10 organisations can be nominated for the Best Portuguese Project award. 

To be nominated, your organisation must be based in a Eureka country and have led a Eureka project that began after 2014 and finished before 29 April 2022. 

Selecting award winners

If nominated by your national funding body, you will be asked to write an application, spotlighting the strengths of your project results and describing how your innovation benefited from international collaboration. For example, you may have experienced entry into new markets, improved R&D capacities and position in your sector, knowledge exchange and established relationships with new partners. 

We will also ask you to explain how your innovation could be transferred or replicated and how it benefits companies and society. You can state concrete examples of and include testimonials from users (the communities your project results benefit) and/or a promotional video.
 
Nominees will be evaluated by selected experts (including professionals from leading Portuguese organisations and universities) against set criteria and three organisations will be shortlisted for each category before the final award ceremony at the Global Innovation Summit in Estoril, Portugal, on 22-23 June 2022. 

The prize 

Award winners will receive:

• A bespoke trophy
• A label to add to your organisation’s promotional material
• Travel and accommodation (maximum two nights) expenses paid for one person per shortlisted project to attend the Global Innovation Summit in Estoril, Portugal, on 22-23 June 2022
• Visibility and networking opportunities; a dedicated digital booth at the Global Innovation Summit and a presentation of your organisation at an award ceremony in front of delegations from Eureka countries
• Social media promotion on Eureka’s channels

For more information about Eureka’s innovation awards, contact your national funding body. Good luck to all our project participants!

This article was first published by EUREKA