The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has released a list of nominees for its 2019 EIT Awards for creative innovation.
The 19 nominees, comprising innovators, entrepreneurs and graduates from Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA, were selected in recognition of their development of ‘groundbreaking’ innovative projects; delivering solutions to pressing global challenges in the fields of food, health, energy, climate, digitalisation and raw materials. The 2019 EIT Awards nominees will go through a final selection ahead of the awards ceremony, where finalists will be able to pitch their innovations to the jury.
Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport responsible for the EIT, said: “I am pleased that the 2019 EIT Awards nominees reflect the wide range of activities that the EIT is running across Europe. Given the challenges facing our society, it is more important than ever that we support the next generation of entrepreneurs. These nominees show that the EIT is offering talented, creative people a space where ideas can grow to become products and services benefiting all of Europe and its citizens.”
The awards will be presented in four categories – EIT CHANGE, EIT Innovators, EIT Venture and EIT Woman – at the 2019 EIT Awards ceremony, to be held in Budapest in October 2019. A fifth category, EIT Public, will be decided by public vote; with online voting set to open in early September.
Dirk Jan van den Berg, Chair of the EIT Governing Board, said: “Through Europe’s largest innovation network, the EIT is breaking down barriers to power innovation across Europe. The EIT Awards show how we are accelerating the transition to a greener, healthier and more sustainable society helping to change the lives of citizens. I am proud that with the EIT we support talented innovators that create a better future for us, for Europe.”
