European Inventors Honoured in Ljubljana
Innovations in antiviral treatment, car manufacturing, eye examination and robotic surgery were honoured on Tuesday as top inventors received European Inventor of the Year Award for 2008 at the European Patent Forum, which is underway in Ljubljana.
Erik De Clercq from the University of Leuven in Begium received the lifetime honour for "landmark contributions to antiviral treatment", including the development of the standard drug cocktail for AIDS.
The award in the category industry went to a team of scientists working for German car maker Audi who revolutionised automotive manufacturing by making frames lighted and safer through the use of aluminium.
The development of a new laser scanning technology for the eye, which allows pain-free examination of the retina, earned Douglas Anderson, Robert Henderson and Rogar Lucas of the British SME Optos the award in the category SMEs and research.
The award for non-European inventor of the year meanwhile went to Philip S. Green of the US company SRI International, who developed a robotic surgical system that allows surgeons to perform complex procedures with the highest precision.
The awards were conferred by Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, European Commission Vice-President Guenter Verheugen and the President of the European Patent office, Alison Brimelow.
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|