For the Munich-based team of the VOK DAMS, agency for events and live-marketing, this year’s award was a special anniversary, as it was the 10th awards ceremony designed and implemented by VOK DAMS in a row, looking back on a long-standing the successful partnership between the EPO and VOK DAMS.
In his address, EPO president Benoît Battistelli focused on the purpose of the event, which this year took place in Lisbon: “Today’s award ceremony is a tribute to the spirit of innovation and the work of dedicated individuals who through their inventions advance the state of the art for all of us,”
More than 550 VIP guests from politics, economy, and academia were on site at the MEO arena in Lisbon, when the EPO president opened the award ceremony together with the Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and the EU commissioner for research, science and innovation Carlos Moedas.
Previously, an independent international judging panel had chosen the 15 finalists – three for each of the five award categories – from 400 suggestions.
The public again picked this year’s popular prize. In order to qualify for the prize, suggestions had to fulfill predefined criteria, one of them being that the inventor needs to have been granted at least one European patent by the EPO.
The 2016 award winners are
Industry
Bernhard Gleich, Jürgen Weizenecker and team (Germany) for laying the foundation for a new category of medical imaging solutions.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Tue Johannessen, Ulrich Quaade, Claus Hviid Christensen and Jens Kehlet Nørskov (Denmark) for the ground-breaking application of ammonia in solid form to reduce air pollution from diesel engines and act as an emissions-free fuel
Research:
Alim-Louis Benabid (France) for revolutionizing the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions with the use of high-frequency deep brain stimulation
Non-European countries:
Robert Langer (USA) or the ground-breaking invention of biodegradable plastics that encapsulate powerful anti-cancer drugs for a new level of targeted delivery..
Lifetime achievement
Anton van Zanten (Germany/Netherlands): for his landmark contributions to automotive safety systems that have saved thousands of lives and are now mandatory features in new automobiles.
Popular Prize:
Helen Lee (GB/France) for her invention of diagnostic kits for HIV and other infectious diseases for resource-poor regions of the globe
