By Business & Finance 
The inaugural Innovation Luminary Awards took place in Trinity College Dublin last night during the Innovation Celebration Gala Dinner marking the Open Innovation 2.0 Conference. The annual Innovation Luminary awards will rotate amongst the four Dublin region Universities.
The Innovation Luminary Academy and Awards have been established by the EU Open Innovation Strategy and Policy Group (OISPG) to celebrate and recognise outstanding innovation role models, and through this, to inspire the next generation of innovators.
The Academy was initiated with the support and sponsorship of Intel Labs Europe, DG Connect, the European Commission, and Dublin City Council and was established in association with the Innovation Value Institute and the International Society for Professional Innovation Management.
Those receiving the Awards last night became the first members of the Innovation Luminary Academy.
Introducing the awards by recorded video, President of the EU Commission José Manuel Barroso said, “I am very excited to see the quality of the nominees this year and am sure that the Innovation Luminary Awards will fast become a hallmark for celebrating and encouraging innovation achievement.”
OISPG chairman and Intel vice president, Prof. Martin Curley said, “These awards and the Academy into which these individuals enter, will prove to be part of that legacy and an inspiration for all who are improving an ever changing world by being creative and innovative.”
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muirí added, “In the last few years Dublin’s annual Innovation festival has created a significant awareness and appetite for Innovation in Dublin– thus Dublin was a natural location to host these awards.”
Dr. Patrick Prendergast, Provost of Trinity College Dublin commented, “We were honoured to host this inaugural award ceremony. The University is first and foremost about knowledge and is therefore a key player in innovation. Its leading research and high-level graduate employment are a cornerstone of such innovation. It is important to celebrate such achievements, as it sends the right signal to our students and researchers, the innovators of the future.”
Inaugural luminaries included individuals such as Professor Stephen Hawking, Felix Baumgartner, Dr. Alexander Osterwalder and Prof Alex von Gabain and companies such as McLaren Electronic Systems and Rovio.
Also Joan Mulvihill, CEO of the Irish Internet Association was awarded a special local Irish Innovation Champion award for her crusading efforts to stimulate the Irish Internet ecosystem.
