Dortmund and Vantaa recognised in the 2021 European Capital of Innovation awards

At the European Innovation Council Summit in Brussels on 24 November 2021 the European Commission announced the winners of the seventh edition of the European Capital of Innovation awards, also known as iCapital. Two cities were singled out. Dortmund in Germany was named European Capital of Innovation 2021. Vantaa in Finland was awarded the separate European Rising Innovative City prize for smaller urban areas.

Who won and what they received

How the awards work and who runs them

What the prize is meant to recognise

iCapital aims to recognise long term municipal efforts to build inclusive innovation ecosystems. The award highlights cities that connect citizens, public authorities, academia and business and that implement governance, tools and processes which translate innovation into better social outcomes. Winners are presented as test beds for urban innovation and sustainable development, a framing emphasised by EU officials in the context of pandemic recovery and the green and digital transitions.

Official reaction and messaging

Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, praised the iCapital finalists for co-creating bottom up initiatives and described finalist cities as "real test beds for innovation". The Commission stressed that shortlisted cities could serve as examples for others in Europe and beyond that are undertaking post-pandemic transformation.

Context and history

This was the seventh edition of the award series which first ran in 2014. Past winners include Barcelona in 2014, Amsterdam in 2016, Paris in 2017, Athens in 2018, Nantes in 2019 and Leuven in 2020. The prize is formally supported by the European Innovation Council as part of Horizon Europe and is managed by EISMEA. The call for the 2021 edition attracted 39 applications from across EU Member States and associated countries.

What the money actually buys and the limits of the prize

The headline cash sums attract attention. A €1 million award to a large city or €500,000 to a smaller municipality can fund pilot projects or capacity building. However these amounts are modest relative to typical municipal budgets and major urban investments. The awards function as signalling mechanisms and can help leverage additional national and EU funds or private partnerships. The direct financial impact will depend on how a city allocates the money and whether it succeeds in translating visibility into further investment.

Skepticism and caveats

Recognition programmes such as iCapital have genuine value in sharing good practice and raising visibility. They also carry risks. Selection relies on applications and self reported initiatives which favour cities capable of preparing professional submissions rather than necessarily those with the most effective outcomes on the ground. Jury-based awards are subjective by design. Metrics to compare diverse urban contexts are imperfect. Finally the publicity value of the prize can be helpful but cannot substitute for stable funding and robust evaluation of long term social impact.

Practical implications for cities and policy actors

Cities interested in competing for future editions should invest in documenting measurable outcomes, building multi-stakeholder governance, and preparing clear project pipelines that can scale if additional public or private funding is secured. National and regional policymakers and EU programme managers should treat iCapital recognition as a starting point for follow up. That includes measuring how prize money is used, tracking whether recognition leads to new funding or partnerships and ensuring lessons are made available to less resourced municipalities.

Further reading and sources

The Commission published the announcement on 24 November 2021 at the European Innovation Council Summit. The iCapital prize is administered by EISMEA under the umbrella of the European Innovation Council and forms part of the EU’s Horizon Europe innovation ecosystem. The original press release and EIC web pages include the full list of finalists and additional background on the prize framework.