Twelve candidates from nine countries are competing this year for the European Inventor Award 2010, a highly regarded innovation prize presented annually by the EPO together with the European Commission to honour outstanding inventions.
 
The prize, which is purely symbolic and involves no material recompense, is awarded in four categories:

• Lifetime achievement
• Industry
• SMEs/research
• Non-European countries

The award honours individual inventors, or teams of inventors, who, through their pioneering work, respond to the challenges of our time, thereby contributing to progress and prosperity. The four winners will be chosen by a high-ranking international Jury and will be presented with their prizes by EPO President Alison Brimelow in Madrid on 28 April 2010.

 Eurostar Hotel, Madrid

For more information on the award ceremony, which will take place in conjunction with the European Patent Forum in Madrid, click here 

For further information, please contact Rainer Osterwalder, Director Media Relations of the European Patent Office : 
Tel.: +49 (0)89 2399-1820
Fax: +49 (0)89 2399-2850
rosterwalder@epo.org