The Ministry of Development & Investments and the Industrial Property Organization (IPO) announce the 4th Award Competition for distinguished inventions that have contributed or can contribute to the technological development of the country. The competition is open to all inventors who are permanent residents of Greece and are active in Universities, Research Centres, Small and Medium Enterprises, as well as natural persons with registered patents.

The institution was launched in 2002 with the aim of rewarding distinguished inventors for their contribution to technological progress and the strengthening of inventive innovation in our country.

The prizes will be awarded to three categories of inventors who have made the invention:

1. As part of a research project on behalf of a University or Research Centre.
2. As an employee of an SME.
3. As independent natural persons.

Eligible to participate are those who are listed as inventors in National applications, in European or International Patent applications that include Greece as a country of specification, or in National and European Patents that have entered the national phase.

In addition, the following cumulative conditions must be met in order to participate:

– at the time of filing the application for a Greek or European Patent or the International application, the inventor was permanently resident in Greece,
– the priority date of the application (if any) or the date of filing (if there is no priority date) is later than 1 September 2015,
– the application has been published or the diploma has been granted by 31 August 2020.

The evaluation of the inventions by the Committee will be based on the following criteria:

– They involve particular inventive activity.
– They have significant potential to contribute to the technological and industrial development of the country.
– The Search Report does not contain prior art documents that infringe the novelty or inventive step of the invention (categories X or Y).

Interested inventors should complete and submit the relevant application form to OBI by 30 October 2020.

The final approval of the candidates will be made by the Minister of Development & Investment, upon the recommendation of the Committee, and the process will conclude with the awarding of cash prizes. The prizes will be offered by the Industrial Property Agency to the distinguished inventors at a special honorary ceremony.

About the OBI

The Industrial Property Organisation (OBI) has been operating since 1988 and is the exclusive body in Greece for the registration of patents and the protection of industrial design rights. The purpose of the OBI is to contribute to the technological and industrial development of the country by providing important services in the field of industrial property.

Its activities include the provision of technological information, from patents (IP) through international databases, in most fields of science and technology. OBI cooperates with other similar international organisations such as the European Patent Office (EPO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on industrial property issues and is supervised by the relevant Ministry.