The 2020 edition of the contest European Capital of Innovation was recently launched by the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel and is open for applications.
The contest is a chance for cities that are dedicated to developing and implementing innovative solutions for their citizens to be awarded a cash prize funded by Horizon 2020, the EU research and innovation programme.
The first prize is of €1 million, and the first five runners-up will receive €100 000 each. The previous winners include Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Athens, and Nantes.
Who can participate?
Cities with a minimum of 100 000 inhabitants from the EU Member States or associated to Horizon 2020 can participate. Independent experts will evaluate the participant cities following criteria that include engaging citizens to innovation, having tangible and measurable results of innovation, having the capacity for being a desired destination for entrepreneurs and a role model for other cities.
Cities interested in applied have until the 23rd of June 2020. The first winner and the five runners-up will be known on 22-24 of September 2020 during the European Research and Innovation Days in Brussels.
Click here to learn more and apply here.
Below, you can watch a video prepared by the European Commission’s ‘Innovation Union’ YouTube channel:
