Commission launches the 2020 European Capital of Innovation Award

The Commission launched today at the Startup Youth InnoCamp in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, the 2020 edition of the European Capital of Innovation Award, also known as iCapital. Funded by Horizon 2020, the EU research and innovation programme, iCapital is an annual cash prize awarded to cities that are best able to demonstrate their ability to harness innovation to improve the lives of their citizens. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:  “Innovation can help cities improve the wellbeing of their citizens and turn challenges such as climate change, urban mobility or inequality into opportunities. This is what the European Capital of Innovation prize is about. It champions cities as key players in the transition to environmentally, economically and socially sustainable Europe.” The prize awards six European cities in total. The first prize winner will join the community of previous European Capitals of Innovation, namely Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Nantes and Paris. It will receive €1 million to ensure that its best innovative practices are shared and scaled-up. The contest will also reward the first five runners-up with €100,000 each to support their innovation activities and to enhance their capabilities to bring together citizens, public sector, academia, and businesses in order to deliver societal benefits for their communities. The competition is open to cities with a minimum of 100,000 inhabitants from EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon 2020. More information is available here.