European Young Innovators
The European Young Innovators (EYI) is a program by WSA that seeks to celebrate excellence in up and coming talent in Europe. The award is given out annually and highlights digital products helping achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The projects are selected from WSA and Young Innovators Awards, and are celebrated at the annual European Young Innovators Festival in Graz, Austria. This year the theme will be: ArtificalXHuman: Boosting Innovation with Ethics, and it will take place on November 27-29.
The European Young Innovators Festival
The European Young Innovators Festival is the event where the selected European Young Innovators will be able to pitch their projects. The festival aims to connect those who are working in social impact, in the context of digital products and with the objective of achieving the UN SDGs. It does this with a series of workshops, networking events, keynotes and pitches that build connections between the festivals' diverse attendees. EYI also attempts to connect students with cutting edge entrepreneurs through Univation.
Univation
UniVation connects students with purpose-driven tech ventures from across the globe. It enables participants to work on real-world case studies, many from former WSA winners, fostering collaboration, learning, and innovation.
UniVation consists of two phases: a Global Phase and a European Phase, culminating at the European Young Innovators Festival. During the Global Phase, students work virtually in teams to solve challenges posed by international ventures, guided by team leaders and supported by webinars. In the European Phase, students collaborate directly with the European Young Innovators to refine their solutions before pitching them to a jury. The program provides students with valuable hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and global impact, while also promoting diversity and empathy across different cultures. Winning teams are recognized and rewarded for their innovative solutions.
Jury Process
The jury process follows a similar pattern the WSA Jury Process, with the key difference being that projects aren't submitted, but pulled from the pool of applicants to both the WSA and Young Innovators Awards based on their eligibility for EYI. The jury is composed of experts from diverse fields, including technology, business, social impact, and sustainability. These experts assess each solution based on criteria such as innovation, scalability, potential social and environmental impact, and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The process involves two stages: the Online Jury and the Grand Jury. This year, the Grand Jury takes place in Vilnius, Lithuania.
