Birmingham-West Midlands celebrates innovation milestone as finalist in European Capital of Innovation Awards
The European Commission has announced the six finalists for the 2024 European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital), celebrating a decade of recognizing cities that lead in delivering cutting-edge innovations. Supported by the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe, the iCapital prize honours cities that leverage innovation to create sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban environments.
This year, the competition highlights cities that have embedded innovation into daily life, from sustainability initiatives to digital transformation.
Birmingham-West Midlands as a finalist
A vibrant and diverse metropolitan area, Birmingham-West Midlands boasts a rich heritage of innovation. The region has developed innovative testbeds that have generated significant returns on investment, such as the Urban Renewal testbed (e.g., USE IT!) to uplift communities, tech testbeds (e.g., 5G) to improve citizen wellbeing through new tech applications, and mobility testbeds to enhance air quality and mobility across the city-region. Birmingham-West Midlands has established a strong innovation ecosystem, with nine cluster organizations representing key sectors and a comprehensive network of accelerators and incubators supporting over 5,000 early-stage businesses.
Other Finalists for the European Capital of Innovation:
The Grand Finale
The winners will be announced at the Web Summit in Lisbon on November 13, 2024. The European Capital of Innovation winner will receive a €1 million prize, while the runners-up will each be awarded €100,000. Additionally, the European Rising Innovative City category winner will receive €500,000, with the runners-up each granted €50,000.
All finalists will join the European Innovation Council Forum working group, a community dedicated to sharing knowledge and driving urban innovation across Europe.
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