The Awards Programme

Academy awards and honours advance innovation through recognising excellence, but also provide critical linkages between various EAI members and their activities. The Academy awards and honours also present an exceptional opportunity for the innovation community members to showcase their talent and achievements.

• EAI focuses on a number of thematic areas which are used as the starting point for selecting the best examples of innovation from within the submissions by the EAI members.
• The Academy Awards are presented at each of the annual thematic Summits.
• These Academy Awards are segmented into categories to align with Innovation Cycle segments completing a cycle of all Innovation activities and respective recognitions of Achievement.
• The Academy Award programme represents a significant opportunity for visibility and advancement for those selected and an exciting opportunity for EAI community members that participate in the process.
• Community members get to see and consider firsthand the best of innovation in their field, and possibly even witness firsthand the inception of the next Google or Facebook.

From Recognition to an Innovation Academy Award

Following the annual thematic Summits, the Innovation Academy is presented with candidate submissions that are recognised as the Best in Innovation within each Summit track for consideration for an Innovation Academy Award. The Standing Committees (appointed by the Board of Trustees), reflecting the Innovation Cycle stages of the innovation process, select a limited number of the most significant achievements in innovation that merit the prestigious Innovation Academy Award; the gold-standard for success in innovation.

Participation

The Academy’s Award processes are tied directly to the active participation of its members and the broader EAI community. The first web-based selection of Award Candidates is performed through community participation.  The Academy also directly engages the SIB Council members in the Innovation Cycle Awards Committees. These individuals have the extraordinary opportunity and considerable responsibility to work together with some of the greatest concepts, products and services being developed and directly represent their technology community in the Academy Awards process.

Academy Awards

The Innovation Academy Awards are given in the following tracks (see table below):

These awards are:

• Young Innovation Award – This award is given to outstanding students whose projects, demonstrated in working form, are judged to have a considerable potential to contribute to innovation in Europe.
• Best Engineering Contribution to Innovation– This award centres on recognising unique outstanding technology achievements by engineers whose work has had demonstrated, tangible and provable impact on innovation.
• Best SME Innovation Award– This SME dedicated award recognises inventive European innovation SME projects and products.
• Innovation Leadership Award –This award recognises organisations or individuals through grassroots approach who have contributed to policies and regulations.
• Best Service Award– This award recognises services that support and facilitate innovation processes.
• Innovation Achievement Award– This award recognises individuals whose ICT innovations have had the most positive impact on society.

Recognition of Excellence in Innovation Medals

• The Best in Innovation Medals honour the greatest examples of excellence in innovation. All winners of the Academy Awards (awarded during the SIB Summits) are automatically entered into this prestigious ‘Best in Innovation Medal’ programme.
• The Best in Innovation Medal is awarded to one individual in each category which corresponds to a specific EAI Innovation Cycle Segment.
• Existing SAA Committees are responsible for selecting a winner in their respective category.
• These nominations for the Excellence in Innovation Medals are to be approved by the Board of Trustees.
• The Best in Innovation Medals are awarded at the annual European Forum for Innovation (EFI).

Award Programme Sponsors

The Awards programme honours achievements across education, industry and research. Each Academy Award is defined by unique mission and criteria, and is a tribute to distinguished professionals, inspiring teachers and thought leaders.

European Fellowship to EAI Members’ Societies

In addition to the Innovation Academy Awards, one Award Committee works with member-societies to name Academy Fellows. EAI works with its member societies in the nomination of EAI – Society Fellows, recognising member-society Fellows with the additional status and recognition of EAI. The Fellowship designation represents recognition for exceptional achievements within a specific member society and as such Fellows are also recognised by EAI and enjoy the added visibility and prestige associated with this recognition.