EPO Announces: Young Inventors Prize 2024 Finalists

First celebrated in 2022, the Young Inventors Prize aims to inspire the creativity of the younger generation across various technical fields and regions. Unlike the European Inventor Award, this prize does not necessitate candidates to hold a granted European patent. It also offers a financial incentive to support the winners' ongoing projects. 

European Patent Office (EPO) has revealed the 2024 Young Inventors Prize finalists. The finalists, with their innovative approaches to environmental sustainability, healthcare, and accessibility, tackle critical global challenges outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Among this year's finalists is a group of women inventors from Tunisia, aged 27-28, who have developed an advanced wheelchair control system. This innovative system utilizes brain signals, voice commands, eye movement, and facial movement recognition to navigate the wheelchair. Second finalist is Valentyn Frechka from Ukraine, who at just 23 years old, has made significant strides in environmental innovation by developing a method to convert fallen leaves into recyclable paper. The third finalist, Rochelle Niemeijer, a 29-year-old scientist from the Netherlands, has developed a portable test kit that uses artificial intelligence to rapidly identify bacterial infections, a crucial advancement in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

The winners will be announced at the livestream European Inventor Award ceremony on 9 July.