About the awards

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 event we honour those innovators who’ve contributed to that progress.

Last 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. To build on its resounding success this year we are creating a year-long programme of engagement and inviting winners, judges, Economist readers, advocates of Innovation and the wider community to join the conversation. We started this journey on April 2nd with the launch of our call for nominations.

 
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.