Barcelona among 6 finalists for European Capital of Innovation
The other cities vying for the iCapital award are Espoo, Grenoble, Groningen, Malaga and Paris
Barcelona is among the six finalists vying for recognition as the most innovative city in Europe and to receive the European Union’s iCapital award. What the committee valued the highest among Barcelona’s traits was the use of new technology to bridge the gap between the city and its inhabitants. The other candidates are Espoo (Finland), Grenoble (France), Groningen (the Netherlands), Malaga (Spain) and Paris (France), selected from a total of 58 proposals.
This award aims to recognize the positive work done to develop a whole innovation ecosystem or network, which is one of the main pillars of Horizon 2020. The €500,000 prize is meant to ramp up this type of initiatives and encourage dialog among residents, public bodies, companies and political decision-makers.
A panel of independents experts will select the winning city based on the following criteria:
- Innovation. Initiatives must be highly innovative in terms of concepts, processes and tools.
- Inspiration. Proposals must be able to attract talent, funding, investment and inspire residents to get involved.
- Integration. Proposals should target the whole innovation ecosystem and clearly highlight its alignment with Europe’s Horizon 2020 goals.
- Interaction. Proposals must facilitate interaction among the different stakeholders.
The winner of the iCapital award will be announced at the Innovation Convention on 10 and 11 March in Brussels (#euic2014).
More information on the European Union’s iCapital award is available on their website.