iCapital 2022: semi-finalists named as competition moves to hearings and jury stage

The European Innovation Council announced on 8 September 2022 that 12 cities have progressed to the semi-final stage of the eighth edition of the European Capital of Innovation Awards, also known as iCapital. The selection was made by two high-level juries of independent experts. The awards are supported by the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe and aim to recognise cities that play an active role in shaping inclusive local innovation ecosystems.

Who reached the semi-finals

The announcement covers 12 cities from 11 countries. They were presented in alphabetical order by the EIC in its public release. The semi-finalists split evenly between the two award categories for larger cities and smaller, rising innovation hubs.

What happens next in the competition

Each semi-final city will be invited to a private hearing with the jury in October 2022. Those hearings will be held remotely and follow strict rules that allow cities to present their application and respond to jury questions. The juries will shortlist three finalists in each category. Winners and runners-up will be announced at the EIC Summit in December 2022.

Monetary awards and post-award benefits

Beyond recognition and profile, iCapital provides cash prizes intended to help winners scale and disseminate innovation practices locally and beyond. The award structure announced by the EIC for this edition is as follows.

All finalists will also be invited to the EIC Forum working group for the EIC Prizes Alumni network, a forum of past finalists intended to facilitate knowledge exchange, policy discussion and cooperation among recognised cities.

Background on the award and who runs it

iCapital is one of the four EIC Prizes administered under Horizon Europe and managed day to day by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, often abbreviated as EISMEA. The competition started in 2014 and seeks to reward cities that use experimentation and partnership to translate innovation into social value and improved wellbeing.

Selection of winners is performed after assessment by two high-level juries of independent experts. The award highlights the importance of cities as local innovation ecosystem facilitators that connect citizens, academia, business and the public sector.

Past winners and recent changes

Since its launch the prize has named several well known European winners. Past European Capitals of Innovation include Barcelona in 2014, Amsterdam in 2016, Paris in 2017, Athens in 2018, Nantes in 2019, Leuven in 2020 and Dortmund in 2021. The European Rising Innovative City category was introduced in 2021 to recognise smaller cities and towns with between roughly 50,000 and 249,999 inhabitants and Vantaa was the first recipient.

Selection criteria and what judges look for

The prize focuses on cities that build inclusive innovation ecosystems and that translate innovation into improved wellbeing for citizens. Jury members evaluate how cities act as testbeds for new governance models, support start-ups and SMEs, foster public procurement for innovation, promote cooperation across sectors, and enable the replication of tested solutions to other places.

Practical details and contact

The EIC release emphasised that the semi-final hearings will follow strict rules to ensure transparent exchange between applicants and jurors. Finalists will be named following those hearings and winners announced in December 2022 at the EIC Summit.

For enquiries and further information the awards team can be contacted at EISMEA-ICAPITAL@ec.europa.eu. The EIC and EISMEA publish details of the call, rules and past editions on europa.eu and the EIC web pages.

What the awards mean and a critical view

iCapital provides headline visibility and funds that can help cities pilot, scale or export programmes. That visibility can open doors to investors and partners and can strengthen a city’s innovation brand. However symbolic recognition and a one-time cash prize do not on their own solve structural gaps in innovation ecosystems such as fragmented governance, limited private investment, skills shortages or uneven regional support.

The awards reward experimentation and sharing of good practice. The real test is whether winning and finalist cities use prize money and the alumni network to create durable changes that persist beyond award cycles. Observers should watch for published evaluations of outcomes and for evidence that initiatives funded by awards reach beyond pilot stage into mainstream procurement and policy.

Takeaway

The 2022 semi-finalists illustrate the geographic and policy diversity of European urban innovation. The next selection steps will test how well submitted plans stand up to scrutiny and whether the winners can convert recognition into sustained impact. The EIC awards are an established mechanism to spotlight municipal innovation but durable change will depend on follow through, financing and governance capacity at local and regional levels.