Twelve inventors nominated for Europe's top innovation prize

Commission Vice-President Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industry policy, said: "The nominees' successful inventions have strengthened Europe's technological and economic stand and have pushed the world's technological frontier further ahead. Technological progress is a crucial factor to keep pace with our major competitors and we should be proud of having one of the worlds' most brilliant minds in the EU. As the innovation gap with the US keeps narrowing, we should however not be lulled into a false sense of security. I call upon European industry and political decision-makers to continue fostering innovation as a driver for growth of the European economy.�

The awards recognise inventors and innovations that have made a significant and lasting contribution to technical development in Europe and beyond, and thus strengthened Europe's economic position. The inventions range widely from a patent that revolutionised the way pacemakers work and has helped save thousands of lives, to biodegradable plastics made of plant starch and an innovation where sensor physics plays a key role. Since inventions are often the result of teamwork, teams as well as individuals were nominated.

The European Inventor of the Year Award is unique in its geographical span and selection procedure. In making its nominations, the jury was able to draw on the expertise of the 3 500 EPO patent examiners. It looked at inventions which have been patented in Europe and successfully marketed between 1992 and 2001. Twelve of them were nominated by the nine-member jury. Four will finally be selected by the jury to receive the Inventor of the Year Award.

To find out more about the European Inventor of the Year 2007, see
www.european-inventor.org

The nominees for the European Inventor of the Year 2007 award by category:

Industry

SMEs/Research

Non-European Countries

Lifetime Achievement