摘要：2011年欧洲发明奖（European Inventor Award）获奖者名单近日在布达佩斯揭晓。来自瑞典、比利时、丹麦、美国和印度的六名科学家分享了5个发明奖项。
欧洲发明奖由欧盟委员会和欧洲专利局设立。2011年欧洲发明奖的五个奖项分别为：终身成就奖、行业奖、研究奖、中小企业奖和非欧洲国家奖。一共有15项发明获得了欧洲发明奖的提名。
终身成就奖由瑞典骨科医生Per-Ingvar Branemark获得。他发明了一种先进的植牙技术和一种与活体组织结合在一起的钛夹具。使用这项发明人体对植入体不产生排异反应。
行业类发明奖的获得者是比利时女科学家Ann Lambrecht。她将钢丝元件和混凝土结合，提高了建筑结构的稳定性。为建筑架构的制造开辟了新的途径。
同是比利时人的Christine Van Broeckhoven因发现阿尔茨海默氏症的致病基因而荣获研究类奖。
中小企业奖项由丹麦人Jens Dall Bentzen获得。他的发明是一个高效率的生物质系统。
非欧洲国家发明奖由分别在美国和印度工作的Ashok Gadgil和Vikas Garud两人获得。他们共同研发出一种水的远紫外线消毒装置。
颁奖仪式在匈牙利科学院举行。匈牙利总统帕尔·施密特出席了颁奖式。
生物探索推荐英文原文：
The European Inventor Award 2011 goes to pioneers in medical research and implant technology, clean energy, construction and water purification
The winners of the 2011 edition of European Inventor Award are: Per-Ingvar Brånemark (Sweden - Lifetime Achievement); Ann Lambrechts, Bekaert (Belgium - Industry), Jens Dall Bentzen, Dall Energy Aps (Denmark - SMEs); Christine Van Broeckhoven, VIB, University of Antwerp (Belgium - Research); Ashok Gadgil and Vikas Garud, University of California/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, WaterHealth International (Non-European countries - USA/India).
From promising methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's and modern implant technology to high-stability concrete, an efficient biomass furnace and water purification with ultraviolet light ─ the winners of the European Inventor Award 2011 cover a wide spectrum of pioneering technological solutions and are a testament to Europe's innovative capacity. The European Patent Office (EPO), in cooperation with the Hungarian EU Council Presidency and the European Commission, awarded Europe's most prestigious innovation prize in five categories at a ceremony at the Academy of Sciences in Budapest today.
The winners of the European Inventor Award 2011 in detail:
•Lifetime Achievement: Per-Ingvar Brånemark (Sweden). He is the pioneer of osseointegration, now a widely practised medical method based on titanium implants, which creates a stable connection between the implant and bone. Today it is a standard implant technique among dentists and is widely used in reconstructive surgery. Millions of people worldwide have benefited from his landmark method.
•Industry: Ann Lambrechts, Bekaert (Belgium). Lambrechts' invention has opened up a world of new architectural possibilities by improving the bending strength of reinforced concrete structures. The steel fibre elements that she developed greatly increase the tensile strength of concrete, reduce construction time and have enabled many spectacular new structures such as the Gotthard tunnel.
•SMEs: Jens Dall Bentzen, Dall Energy Aps (Denmark). His special low-emission furnace burns biofuels with a moisture content of up to 60% and is therefore ideal for eco-friendly, highly efficient and hence inexpensive power generation from biomass in factories and production plants.
•Research: Christine Van Broeckhoven, VIB, University of Antwerp (Belgium). Her pioneering method for identifying disease genes in Alzheimer's sufferers paved the way for the development of modern drugs and treatments to combat Alzheimer's disease. Each of the genes and proteins that Broeckhoven has identified acts as potential "target" for researchers working to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
•Non-European countries: Ashok Gadgil, Vikas Garud, University of California/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, WaterHealth International (USA/India). Using gravity and a carefully planned hydraulics design to ensure even water flow, their UV disinfection device requires only a 40 watt UV light bulb to disinfect 1 000 litres of water per hour. The water purification device has been installed in more than ten countries worldwide, delivering clean water to over two million people.
"European patents play an important role in the cycle from idea to market success. The winners of the European Inventor Award have benefited from the patent system, not only coming up with breakthroughs in their technical fields, but supporting the development of their companies or institutions, they have actively contributed to job creation to the improvement of people's daily lives," said EPO President Benoît Battistelli.
"This award highlights that Europe continues to be a leader in technical innovation," said Pál Schmitt, President of Hungary. "Hungary is truly honoured to be hosting the ceremony for Europe's most prestigious inventor award. I hope it will boost innovation in our country, as we attach great importance to the ability of society and its people to innovate and drive change and progress. "
" The nominees that are being honoured at this event are without a doubt a strong reflection on Europe's capacity for innovation, and an indication of a regulatory environment that supports and promotes competition and progress", said EU Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier. " The European Patent Office will soon be called upon to deliver unitary patent protection, Inventors then can receive protection for their inventions across 25 EU member states in one single step, meaning a removal of bureaucracy and a lowering of the cost of patents. I trust this will stimulate further innovation," he said.
