València has been chosen as one of the 6 top innovative cities in Europe
València has been chosen as one of the 6 top innovative cities in Europe
The Commission will proclaim the winner and the finalists of the European Capital of Innovation 2020 competition during the European Research and Innovation Days that will be held from September 22nd to 24th 2020.
This morning, the European Commission has chosen València as one of the 6 top innovative cities in Europe and awarded it with € 100,000. This is a first step to become the European Capital of Innovation 2020 by the end of September, when the winning city will be proclaimed and receive 1 million € to invest in social and urban innovation actions,as well as to improve its capability to connect individuals, public sector, academia and companies in order to provide social improvements for their communities.
The Commission will proclaim the winner and the finalists of the European Capital of Innovation 2020 competition during the European Research and Innovation Days that will be held from September 22nd to 24th 2020.
This morning, València has been chosen among the 6 top innovative cities in Europe together with Vienna (Austria), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Espoo (Finland), Helsingborg (Sweden) and Leuven (Belgium).
Last Friday at Las Naves Innovation Centre, a technical team did a remote presentation of València’s candidacy as future European Capital of Innovation to the European Commission. València could access this competition thanks to its Missions València 2030 strategy. Joan Ribó, mayor of València, and Carlos Galiana, Councilman for Innovation, attended this event together with a large institutional representation.
Mayor Ribó stated that “we are happy because València is making a huge effort so that innovation becomes a city strategy, not only for the local government, and with the consensus of almost all political parties, as well as the public sector, the private sector the academia and civil society. The Missions València 2030 strategy led us to being among the six top innovative cities in Europe. We are confident that this work will help us to be chosen as European Capital of Innovation by the end of September.
For his part, Carlos Galiana, Councilman of Innovation and Knowledge Management, expressed his “confidence, since this first recognition is a sign that confirms that having an innovation strategy for the next 10 years as Missions València 2030 is something that the European Commission has in high regard. Europe demands a focus on innovation missions and we will be the first city to do so. We would be honoured to become the European Capital of Innovation and therefore be a benchmark for many other cities”.
This award, financed by Horizon 2020 (the research and innovation programme of the EU), recognises European cities developing vibrant innovation ecosystems in order to tackle public challenges and to improve the quality of life of our citizens.
In the same event where the winners will be proclaimed, the Commission will also proclaim the winners of the EU Prize for Women Innovators, the EIC Horizon Prize for Affordable High-Tech for Humanitarian Aid, and the Horizon Impact Award 2020.