European Commission and EuropaBio open two new awards for innovation and biotechnology
The award from the EC focuses on female researchers (€175,000) while the one from EuropaBio recognizes the most innovative SMEs (€10,000).
By Biocat
Good news for biotechnology. The European Commission and the European Association of Bioindustries (EuropaBio) are once again launching their awards in innovation and the biotech industry.
European Union Women Innovators Prize 2014
Endowment: €175,000
Deadline: 15 October 2013
The second edition of the EC European Union Women Innovators Prize is being launched after the success of the 2011 edition and will recognize three women who have founded or co-founded innovative companies and taken them successfully to market: €100,000 for the first prize, €50,000 the second, and €25,000 the third. In total €175,000 to promote innovation. The only requirement for candidates, who must submit applications by 15 October 2013, is that they must have received funding at some point in their career from one of the EU framework programs in research or from the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Program.
The EC’s message on the award website is that “Europe needs more women innovators who can act as role models for the next generation,” as those recognized in the first edition have done: Gitte Neubauer, co-founder of German company Cellzome; Fabienne Hermitte, co-founder of French company Ipsogen; and Ilaria Rosso, co-founder of Italian company Electro Power Systems. The winners will be announced in Spring 2014.
EuropaBio's Most Innovative European Biotech SME Award 2013
Endowment: €10,000
Deadline: 10 June 2013
The award from the EuropaBio employers’ association, on the other hand, is geared towards small and medium-sized companies in all areas of biotechnology: health, agriculture and industry. With a total endowment of €10,000, the Most Innovative European Biotech SME Award aims to showcase European biotech SMEs that have developed an innovative solution to technical, social and environmental problems. The winner of the previous edition was Dutch company Prosensa. This year’s winner will be announced during the first European Biotech Week, where the milestones and successes of the top five candidates will be presented. Registration is open through 10 June 2013.
Thus, these two initiatives are committed to strengthening the biotechnology and innovation arena in Europe, one incentivizing female participation in the industry and the other promoting small and medium-sized companies.