The aim of these articles is to keep our Clients and Associates updated about developments in the sector of Intellectual Property in general and our firm in particular. In this way, we wish to provide a broader view of the tools that the field of trade marks, domain names, patents, designs and related rights offers to entrepreneurs to enhance and protect their efforts in researching and developing new solutions and ideas.
European Inventor Award: Celebrating Innovation, Inspiring the Future
The European Inventor Award is a prize awarded by the EPO (European Patent Office) every two years, to honor inventors who turn their ideas into concrete solutions capable of addressing major challenges of our time.
The European Inventor Award was created to give proper recognition to talented inventors, celebrating their inventive spirit and successful innovations.
Applications for the next edition, which will take place in Berlin in 2026, are currently open and will be accepted until 30 September 2025. Nominations can be submitted by the public, EPO staff, patent offices from around the world, or by the inventors themselves.
Winners will receive striking sail-shaped trophies, designed by Miriam Irle, symbolizing exploration and ingenuity and representing how inventive ideas can push humanity toward uncharted horizons.
The award is divided into several categories, designed to provide recognition to a wide range of innovators:
- Industry (for inventors working in large European companies)
- Research (for inventors working at universities, research institutes, or their spin-offs)
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (for inventors working in SMEs)
- Non-EPO Countries (for inventors from non-EPO member states, provided the inventions or related products are available in Europe)
- Lifetime Achievement Award (for inventors who have made long-standing contributions in their technical field)
- Popular Prize (awarded through public voting, which starts with the announcement of the finalists and closes during the award ceremony)
For all categories, the prerequisites for nomination are a granted European patent and commercialization in Europe. Additionally, to be eligible, an invention must demonstrate a high degree of inventiveness, a clear benefit to society or the environment and proven or potential economic success in Europe.
Being selected for the European Inventor Award means receiving prestigious recognition for excellence in innovation, while also gaining significant international visibility. This represents a strategic opportunity to enhance the value of the intellectual property assets of companies and strengthen their presence in the global market, paving the way for new opportunities in growth, collaboration and worldwide networking.
That could be a further good reason for companies and individuals from EPO and non-EPO countries to aim at obtaining a European patent with the help of trusted European patent attorneys.
The INTERPATENT team includes experienced patent attorneys whose knowledge covers a wide variety of technological fields admitted to practice not only before the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM) but also before the European Patent Office (EPO), who would be delighted to assist the future EUROPEAN INVENTOR AWARD winners from all over the world.