EU shortlists 9 women innovators for Prize recognising market-breaking ideas

Today, the Commission is announcing the names of 9 outstanding women entrepreneurs who are entering the final stage of the EU Prize for Women Innovators 2016. The contestants are being recognised for recently setting up companies in a range of sectors from life sciences to ICT, based on the market success of their breakthrough ideas. Each of the contenders, which come from Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Portugal and Sweden, had previously also benefitted from EU research and innovation funding. Expressing his delight at the nominations, Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: “While there can only be three Prize winners, the remarkable achievements of all the women who entered the contest deserve great recognition. They worked very hard, took risks and may sometimes have faced setbacks, but they got back up again and persevered to fulfil their visions. This is the kind of spirit we need more of in Europe. These outstanding women are an inspiration to other researchers and entrepreneurs, female and male alike.” This year, the Women Innovators prize is being awarded for the third time to raise public awareness of the need for more innovation and more women entrepreneurs. The finalists were selected by a high-level jury of independent experts from business, venture capital, entrepreneurship and academia. The three winners, who will be announced in March 2016, will receive cash prizes of €100,000, €50,000 and €30,000. More information is available here.