In a statement, the municipality of Braga states that the city was chosen for its work in establishing an innovation ecosystem “robust and sustainable”.
Braga was distinguished as European Capital of Innovation, in the “Most Innovative European City” category, in the 10th edition of the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital Awards), announced the European Commission.
In a statement, the European Commission says that, as the winner, the city will receive a prize of 500 thousand euros, aimed at strengthening innovative initiatives “which will continue to transform Braga into a reference for innovation at European level”. In 2nd and 3rd place were, respectively, Linz (Austria) and Oulu (Finland).
All finalists will be invited to join the iCapital Alumni network, promoting knowledge sharing and urban innovation in Europe.
The winner was announced this Wednesday by the European Commissioner for Innovation, Iliana Ivanova, during the awards ceremony, held at the Web Summit, in Lisbon, European Capital of Innovation 2023.
In a statement, the municipality of Braga states that the city was chosen for its work in establishing an innovation ecosystem “robust and sustainable”.
This award, supported by the European Innovation Council, under the Horizon Europe program, highlights the role of cities in promoting transformative innovations, in alignment with the objectives of the New European Innovation Agenda.
The mayor of Braga, Ricardo Rio, mentioned what this distinction “It is the result of joint work” between city hall, academic community, companies and the public sector.
“We are committed to building a city that invests in innovative solutions, which value the well-being of citizens and sustainable development. This award is a reflection of Braga’s vision as an inclusive and future-oriented city”, he said.
For Ricardo Rio, this is the “international recognition of Braga’s commitment to innovation and sustainable development”.
“This award puts Braga on the European map as a center of innovation, at the service of the community, reinforcing our attractiveness to attract investment, talent and new international partnerships”, he added.
Braga now joins the group of European cities of reference in innovation, being invited to join the working group of the European Innovation Council Forum, made up of former iCapital Awards finalists.
This network of cities enables ongoing collaboration to share best practices and develop new solutions that respond to present and future urban challenges.
The European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital Awards) celebrate European cities that stand out for creating inclusive innovation ecosystems, capable of connecting the public, academia, the business sector and the public sector.
In the “European Capital of Innovation” category, the winning city was Turin.
