About the awards

THE BACKGROUND

Innovation is bold and fearless. It’s economic oxygen, and without it, you get stagnation. But it all depends on people. Entrepreneurs, thinkers, creators, scientists. People who turn dreaming into doing, thoughts into things, and inspiration into innovation. Since 1843 The Economist has been leading the debate in pursuit of progress. And at our annual Innovation Awards we honour those innovators who’ve contributed to that progress.

This year The Economist's Innovation Awards reached its tenth year so we invited all of our past winners and our judges from around the world to attend the ceremony and summit to mark the tenth anniversary.

The theme was 'the essence of truly great innovation' and in recognition of this we launched the Anniversary Award which was presented to Steve Jobs for his contribution to innovation over the past decade. Over 22,000 votes were received between the voting window opening on June 1st and October 14th, when it closed. We were delighted to have so many of our Economist readers and the wider community engaged and submit their votes for the innovator of the decade.

Since 2002, we have handed out awards to some of the world's leading entrepreneurs, thinkers, creators, scientists and innovators. De Soto. Miyamoto. Gates. Zuckerberg. Wales. Jobs. People who map our future by pushing themselves to break down boundaries. Those who refuse to stand still. Changing the way we work, think and live and we were delighted that so many of our past winners and judges were able to join us.

THE AWARDS CEREMONY

- It’s the night we recognise the dreamers and the doers.

- The night we acclaim the innovations that transform the world we live in.

- The night the world’s brightest minds come together in one room to celebrate progress.