Joint success for KIC InnoEnergy and Climate-KIC
EIT Change Award winner Govinda Upadhyay, LEDsafari, KIC InnoEnergy SE © EIT European Institute of Innovation and Technology

Joint success for KIC InnoEnergy and Climate-KIC

KIC InnoEnergy, the European company for innovation, education and business creation in sustainable energy, and Climate-KIC, the EU’s main climate innovation initiative, have celebrated success of three of their projects at the EIT Awards, presented at INNOVEIT in Budapest.

KIC InnoEnergy Masters School Graduate Govinda Upadhyay won the EIT Change Award for his design of a simple and affordable solar LED lamp, whilst the EIT Innovators Award went to EOLOS Floating LIDAR Solutions CEO Rajai Aghabi, a KIC InnoEnergy supported project for breaking new ground in the field of affordable wind energy. Furthermore, Climate-KIC startup Nordic Power Converters (co-founder Regnar Paaske) of Denmark won the EIT Venture Award for his imaginative redesign of small, long lasting power converters.

Commenting Diego Pavia, chief executive at KIC InnoEnergy, said: “We are delighted by the success of our programme and graduates in these awards. The EIT Awards recognise the best in innovation and each of these projects demonstrates commitment to advancing sustainable growth and competitiveness in the field of sustainable energy.

“I’m delighted that Govinda is now being supported in setting up and growing his business by Climate-KIC. This is a great example of how, by working together, the KIC group can create businesses that can make a real difference in sustainable energy solutions.”

Adding his thoughts, Bertrand van Ee, CEO of Climate-KIC, remarked: “Indeed it’s all about collaboration: discovering talent and scaling it up. I’m very proud to see two of our start-ups win awards today. I see their hunger for success determination and passion for tackling climate change through new technology. Climate-KIC only selects the best and we put all our efforts into developing these innovators to introduce them to markets.”

The EIT Awards took place during the INNOVEIT 2015 conference in Budapest, Hungary, which was attended by Horizon 2020 Projects. A special feature on the conference will published in next edition of Portal.