European Innovation Radar: Two Swiss winners in a row

The innovation radar awards the most promising digital innovations in Europe selected from the EU funded research and innovation projects. The award, according to Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, “puts the spotlight on the excellence of the Horizon 2020 innovators competing for this prize. It shows how EU funding is helping the innovators in transforming technology and science into tangible benefits for all Europeans.”

Last week the European Commission announced Gr3n from Switzerland as the winner of the Innovation Radar during the awards ceremony at the European Commission's ICT 2018 in Vienna, Austria.

Gr3n, a Lugano based startup won the first prize for their breakthrough technology for ‘upcycling’ PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) or polyester. The startup developed an industrial-grade prototype that uses microwave radiation to increase the proportion of plastics that can be recycled while enhancing the quality of recycled plastics such as PET or polyester. The startup also holds the “CTI certificate” a quality validation certificate of the Swiss Government and is currently pilot plant phase.

Five other EU-funded innovators from Switzerland, Spain, Denmark and Iceland also received prizes at the ceremony.

Multiwave Technologies from Geneva won the category Best Young SME for their metamaterial technology that improves the signals captured by state-of-the-art MRI systems. The startup is developing medical device technologies for early diagnosis of disease and treatment of neurological conditions. Its IoT platform uses quantitative analysis and sensors to assist retailers in deciding what merchandise they place on display and wholesalers with their marketing strategies. The startup runs a wholly owned R&D subsidiary, Multiwave Innovation, based in Marseille, France.

About the Innovation Radar
The Innovation Radar is an EC initiative to identify high-potential innovations and innovators in EU-funded research and innovation projects. Forty-eight of the best EU-funded innovators have been identified through this initiative to compete with their EU-funded innovation in five categories for the Innovation Radar Prize 2018. These SMEs, university teams, spinoffs and start-ups reflect the diversity of EU-funded research and innovation and come from every corner of Europe.

Swiss researchers and organizations can participate in Horizon 2020, the European Union's research and innovation funding programme, on equal terms with entities from the EU Member States and other associated countries.

(RAN)