Awards
Ever since Reinvantage was founded in 2013, as Emerging Europe, we have been driven by a passion to bring the very best of the region’s businesses, initiatives, organisations and individuals to the world’s attention.
While we were always aware that there were great things happening in the region, from advances in e-government to innovation in emerging fields such as fintech and healthtech, we increasingly felt the need to create a programme that would highlight this progress and offer a platform for the region’s entrepreneurs and innovators to shine.
And so in 2018 we launched the Emerging Europe Awards, designed to do just that. And since then, the programme has gone from strength to strength.
Winning an Emerging Europe Award has become more than recognition—it has become a mark of influence. For many, it has unlocked new funding, heightened visibility, and created high-level collaborations, strengthening the role these winners play shaping the region’s future.
IMPACT AND FEEDBACK
“I am so proud of winning such a prestigious and independent award, especially considering the very high standard of all other nominies in our category.”
Roman Valny
“The Global Champion of 2018 places Solaris Bus & Coach in the elite group of enterprises that won in 2018, including such giants as Amazon and Siemens.”
Dariusz Michalak
“Thank you Emerging Europe. Single parents and their families face unique challenges, often juggling multiple roles and responsibilities. They are the unseen heroes of our society, demonstrating many values, some of them being strength, resilience, and determination.”
Elena Bozhinovska
“Europe’s centre of gravity is shifting to the East, but the demographic crisis being faced by several countries in emerging Europe could act as a slowdown on growth and stifle the region’s potential.”
Ivan Krastev
“There are lots of opportunities in this region, and I hope that all the region’s investment promotion agencies will collaborate to attract more and more foreign direct investment.”
Joonas Vänto
“It is a genuine thrill to receive this award. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in life to serve in public office. I am even more grateful for the chance in recent decades to help create a world of opportunity for young people, especially those from emerging Europe.”
Kristalina Georgieva
“I would like to thank Emerging Europe for this award. Our fathers and grandfathers went to war. Today we trust our European neighbours. Eastern and Western Europe are united. Our common European home safeguards peace. We should be extremely thankful.”
Zoran Zaev
“Taking part in the Emerging Europe Awards helped us grow. It made us stronger. It made us more informed. So my biggest recommendation is for everybody to apply. It’s the least they can do for the development of their organisation, for their self-branding.”
Uros Bulatović
“This award is very important because we are a network of people – we are 600 citizens in Poland. Then there is civil society all over Europe… they know we are doing this work. It is a great acknowledgement.”
Marta Lempart
“Absolutely thrilled to receive an award which recognises our efforts in providing business and economic opportunities for all citizens of Ukraine and especially those who live in rural areas.”
Victor Liakh
“This prestigious award means a lot to us because it is an acknowledgment of our efforts and hard work. We strongly believe in the potential of this region – it is full of talent, full of potential and full of innovators.”
Monika Tóth
2025
Ever since Reinvantage was founded in 2013, as Emerging Europe, we have been driven by a passion to bring the very best of the region’s businesses, initiatives, organisations and individuals to the world’s attention.
While we were always aware that there were great things happening in the region, from advances in e-government to innovation in emerging fields such as fintech and healthtech, we increasingly felt the need to create a programme that would highlight this progress and offer a platform for the region’s entrepreneurs and innovators to shine.
And so in 2018 we launched the Emerging Europe Awards, designed to do just that. And since then, the programme has gone from strength to strength.
Winning an Emerging Europe Award has become more than recognition—it has become a mark of influence. For many, it has unlocked new funding, heightened visibility, and created high-level collaborations, strengthening the role these winners play shaping the region’s future.
There are lots of opportunities in this region, and I hope that all the region's investment promotion agencies will collaborate to attract more and more foreign direct investment.
I am so proud of winning such a prestigious and independent award, especially considering the very high standard of all other nominies in our category.”
2024
With a theme very much rooted in reinvention, the seventh edition of the Emerging Europe Awards created unprecedented interest and impact, with winners once again chosen by a jury of experts and the global Emerging Europe community: in all more than 7,000 votes were cast for the various nominees.
Winners across the categories include Moldova’s Tekwill in Every School Programme, an initiative revolutionising education by embedding technology and STEM subjects into the core curriculum. It won in the Future-Proof Education category.
In the Regional Collaboration category meanwhile, the winner was Black Sea CONNECT, recognised for its transformative impact on marine sustainability, energy collaboration, and establishing a regional research hub that brought together over 50 stakeholders across countries bordering the Black Sea.
The Princess Marina Sturdza Award went to Romanian film director Cristian Mungiu. For two decades Mungiu has been reshaping perceptions of emerging Europe through authentic and thought-provoking cinema. His Palme d’Or-winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and acclaimed works like Beyond the Hills have spotlighted the region’s struggles and resilience, fostering dialogue about its identity and future.
The second individual award, the Günter Verheugen Award, went to Robert D. Kaplan for shaping global understanding of Central and Eastern Europe through his influential writing. His seminal work, Balkan Ghosts, illuminated the region’s history, struggles, and geopolitical significance.
One final prize, the Public Figure of the Year award, went to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, whose presidency has been characterised by a clear vision for Georgia’s future—one that is firmly rooted in European values and democratic governance.
List of all winners:
- Princess Marina Sturdza Award — Cristian Mungiu
- Günter Verheugen Award — Robert D. Kaplan
- Public Figure — Salome Zourabichvili
- Female Business Leader — Amalya Yeghoyan
- Entrepreneurship — Anna Bondarenko
- Future-proof Education — Tekwill in Every School Programme
- Sustainability Leadership — Clean Air Programme
- Regional collaboration — Black Sea CONNECT
- Public Sector Digital Transformation — EVO
- Democracy and the Rule of Law — Central and Eastern European Special Fund
- Business Friendly City — Vilnius
- Investment Promotion Agency — Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA)
Architects of Tomorrow:
Albania - Jona Rizvanolli, Armenia - Ashot Chilingaryan, Azerbaijan - Natavan Hasanova, Belarus - Tania Marinich, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Velma Šarić, Bulgaria - Vladimir Tzvetkov, Croatia - Ivan Mrvoš, Czechia - Ondřej Kania, Estonia - Jaanus Tamm, Georgia - Zviad Tsetskhladze, Hungary - András Péntek, Kosovo - Gentiana Alija, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan - Aigerim Kazybaeva, Latvia - Anne Sauka, Lithuania - Giedrius Žebrauskas, Moldova - Viorica Vanica, Montenegro - Milena Petrović, North Macedonia - Dejan Mihajlov, Poland - Wiktor Warchalowski, Romania - Despina-Maria Donca, Serbia - Dragana Rogulja, Slovakia, Slovenia - Maja Tomanič Vidovič, Tajikistan - Farhod Rahmonov, Turkmenistan - Jamal Amankuliyev, Ukraine - Yevheniia Tuirina, Uzbekistan - Malika Khamraeva
I am extremely honoured and humbled to receive the Public Figure of the Year Award. When I joined the presidential campaign in the summer of 2020, I was frightened but I wanted to help. Together we have shown the world what power participatory democracy can unleash. My only role as a leader is to listen to people, to make their voices heard and to harness the power of collective intelligence.
This is my first lifestyle achievement award, and I have very mixed feelings. So let’s call it an award for lifetime achievements so far. I see myself as an influencer for the future of Europe. [...] Any European nation that wants to be part of the process of European integration has the right to do so. That right cannot be denied. We need more Europe, not less.
I am incredibly touched and moved to receive this award, and would like to pay tribute to the progress that the emerging Europe region has made over the past 30 years. It’s turned out dramatically better than anything that seemed likely in the 1980s, when these countries were all still part of, or under the influence of, the Soviet Union.
The Global Champion of 2018 places Solaris Bus & Coach in the elite group of enterprises that won in 2018, including such giants as Amazon and Siemens.
2023
The Emerging Europe Awards returned once again to Brussels and the European Parliament in 2023, and featured an appearance by Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Mykhailo Fedorov, Emerging Europe's Public Figure of the Year.
Fedorov said that technology had been crucial to Ukraine's war effort, and that the country had proven its worth as a hub of innovation. "When we win this war, and we will win, we are ready to become a hub of technology and innovation within the European Union," he said.
There was more recognition for Ukraine with Visionest Institute taking away the prize for People-First Economic Initiative. The Institute's export academy helps Ukrainian SMEs diversify exports away from Russia and confidently operate in new markets.
Global Champion of the Year—an award given to companies from emerging Europe which have expanded outside of the region—meanwhile went to Ukraine's Sigma Software, which despite Russia's war has successfully opened operations in more than a dozen new markets since 2022.
The 2023 edition also saw the launch of a new Emerging Europe initiative, Architects of the Future. These individuals come from diverse backgrounds and professions, including innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, engineers, technologists, social activists, educators, artists, journalists, policy makers, environmentalists, and community builders.
Each of them contributes to shaping a better tomorrow for the region in their respective domains. Several were in Brussels to pick up their awards.
Also in the European capital was Ivan Krastev, a founding board member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), to accept the Princess Marina Sturdza Award, given by Emerging Europe to eminent individuals from the region who have contributed to its prosperity, science, culture and peace.
Emerging Europe's Young Influencer of the Year in 2023 was Elena Bozhinovska from North Macedonia, for her work driving societal and legal change for disadvantaged communities and students in North Macedonia.
List of all winners:
Future-Proof Education Initiative of the Year
- 500 WOMEN IN TECH - A LARGE-SCALE RETRAINING PROJECT (Georgia)
- FROM SCIENTISTS TO INNOVATORS FOR INDUSTRY (Poland)
- TELERIK ACADEMY - GROOMING THE NEXT DIGITAL BUILDERS (Bulgaria)
Health and Social Care Initiative of the Year
- SUNSHINE CAFE (Ukraine)
- HELLO PAUL - PROJECT BY AMERISOURCEBERGEN TO INCREASE THE SURVIVAL RATES OF NEWBORNS (Lithuania)
- BIOCAM CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY (Poland)
Youth Empowerment Initiative of the Year
- VIVITA – CREATIVITY ACCELERATOR FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (Estonia)
- ORBELIANI METI – THE FIRST CROWDFUNDING PLATFORM IN GEORGIA (Georgia)
- UNCOMMON.IT (Lithuania)
Artistic Achievement of the Year
- BOOK "APRICOTS OF DONBAS" AND THE POEM "PRAYER” BY LYUBA YAKIMCHUK (Ukraine)
- BIGGER THAN TRAUMA (Croatia)
- MIHAIL VUCHKOV AKA MISHO’S OTHER BULGARIAN WOMEN (Bulgaria)
Green Energy Initiative of the Year
- ENERGY ACTUA (Ukraine)
- WOLTAIR (Czechia)
- SOLAR CAMP FOR YOUNG LEADERS (Serbia)
Sustainable Lifestyles Initiative of the Year
- LITTAR (Romania)
- LESSONS ARE MEASURING UP PANEVEZYS
- EKOTECHNOLOGICZNI (Poland)
People-first Economy Initiative of the Year
- CREATING EXPORT ACADEMY (Ukraine)
- DIGITALISATION OF THE EDUCATION PROCESS IN THE MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS OF PLOVDIV (Bulgaria)
- ENHANCING THE CODING AND ROBOTICS SKILLS OF UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUTH (North Macedonia)
Inclusive Entrepreneurship Initiative of the Year
- ECONVERSE (Poland)
- FUTURE MAKERS 2022 (Romania)
- GAMING CENTRE OF SISAK MOSLAVINA COUNTY (Croatia)
Global Champion of the Year
- SIGMA SOFTWARE (Ukraine)
- NORD SECURITY (Lithuania)
- SMARTLYNX (Latvia)
Foreign Investor of the Year
- VOLVO (Sweden in Slovakia)
- DEXCOM (USA in Lithuania)
- DURA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS (USA in North Macedonia)
Regional Collaboration Initiative of the Year
- #TechForUkraine (Poland)
- THE THREE SEAS STOCK EXCHANGES INITIATIVE (Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia)
- GLOBSEC DANUBE TECH VALLEY INITIATIVE (Slovakia)
Modern and Future-proof Policymaking Initiative of the Year
- DIIA.PL AND mOBYWATEL (Poland, Ukraine)
- LT 5G SANDBOX (Lithuania)
- ComparEST (Estonia)
Democracy and the Rule of Law Initiative of the Year
- THE MEDIA INITIATIVE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (Ukraine)
- DEMOCRACY IN ACTION LABS (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Serbia)
- THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN LAW INITIATIVE - CEELI INSTITUTE (Czechia)
Media Freedom and Responsible Reporting Initiative of the Year
- PR ARMY (Ukraine)
- PARTIZAN (Hungary)
- THE KYIV INDEPENDENT (Ukraine)
Young Influencer of the Year
- ELENA BOZHINOVSKA (North Macedonia)
- ANNA POPSUI (Ukraine)
- LIGIA KORNOWSKA (Poland)
Female Business Leader of the Year
- ARJODITA MUSTALI (Albania)
- ALONA ANDRUK (Ukraine)
- MIHAELA PASEK-VIRLAN (Romania, Slovakia)
Architects of Tomorrow
Albania - Dafina Peci, Armenia - Seda Papoyan, Azerbaijan - Sona Salimli-Alasgarova, Belarus - Francišak Viačorka, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Adnan Ćerimagić, Bulgaria - Kostadin Nedev, Croatia - Vernesa Smolčić, Czechia - Jan Lukačevič, Estonia - Kaisa Hensen, Georgia - Nino Enukidze, Hungary - Szabolcs Panyi, Kazakhstan - Zaure Rozmat, Kosovo - Zana Avdiu, Kyrgyzstan - Aidana Aidarbekova, Latvia - Diāna Pershtein-Lapkis, Lithuania - Povilas Poderskis, Moldova - Dumitru Alaiba, Montenegro - Milojko Spajić, North Macedonia - Nikica Mojsoska-Blazevski, Poland - Daniel Jarząb, Romania - Mihai Filip, Serbia - Dragana Vujović Djermanović, Slovakia - Mikuláš Lakatoš, Slovenia - Tilen Travnik, Tajikistan - Nigora Fazliddin, Turkmenistan - Jennet Akmyradova, Ukraine - Nataliya Mykolska, Uzbekistan - Djasur Djumaev.
Thank you Emerging Europe. Single parents and their families face unique challenges, often juggling multiple roles and responsibilities. They are the unseen heroes of our society, demonstrating many values, some of them being strength, resilience, and determination.
It is a genuine thrill to receive this award. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in life to serve in public office. I am even more grateful for the chance in recent decades to help create a world of opportunity for young people, especially those from emerging Europe.”
I would like to thank Emerging Europe for this award. Our fathers and grandfathers went to war. Today we trust our European neighbours. Eastern and Western Europe are united. Our common European home safeguards peace. We should be extremely thankful.
Taking part in the Emerging Europe Awards helped us grow. It made us stronger. It made us more informed. So my biggest recommendation is for everybody to apply. It's the least they can do for the development of their organisation, for their self-branding.
Europe's centre of gravity is shifting to the East, but the demographic crisis being faced by several countries in emerging Europe could act as a slowdown on growth and stifle the region's potential.
This prestigious award means a lot to us because it is an acknowledgment of our efforts and hard work. We strongly believe in the potential of this region - it is full of talent, full of potential and full of innovators.
2022
Ukraine took centre stage at the 2022 edition of the Emerging Europe Awards, with several Ukrainian initiatives receiving awards and recognition.
Among them was DIIA City, for its unique contribution to positioning the country as a powerful IT hub, which was named Modern and Future-proof Policymaking Initiative of the Year. The country’s IT sector has been a symbol of resilience since Russia invaded the country.
"We launched DIIA City just a couple of weeks before the Russian invasion, but we already have hundreds of companies and around 20,000 IT experts on board. They are the heroes of our economic frontline," said Georgii Dubinskyi, Ukraine's deputy minister of digital transformation, accepting the award.
President Maia Sandu of Moldova was named by Emerging Europe as its Public Figure of the Year, recognition for her unswerving commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and a European future for Moldova.
Meanwhile, two leading figures from the world of international diplomacy and film were named as the winners of Emerging Europe’s Professor Günter Verheugen and Princess Marina Sturdza awards for 2022.
The Professor Günter Verheugen Award, given to eminent individuals from outside emerging Europe who have contributed to the region’s prosperity and peace, was handed to Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former UK foreign secretary, while the Princess Marina Sturdza Award, given to eminent individuals from the region who have contributed to its prosperity, science, culture and peace, went to Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland.
List of all winners:
People
- Artistic Achievement: Cold Revolution (Poland)
- Health and Social Care: Unbreakable Campaign (Serbia)
- Youth Empowerment: Young in the Arena (Romania)
- Future-proof Education: CODE Kids (Romania)
Planet
- Green Energy: Project for Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings in Lutsk (Ukraine)
- Sustainable Lifestyles: Ecoreactive (Ukraine)
Prosperity
- People-first Economy: My First Salary (Serbia)
- Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Iris Business Incubator (Armenia)
- Foreign Investor: SK IE Technology
- Global Champion: Docplanner Group (Poland)
- Investment Promotion Agency: Estonian Investment Agency
- Business-Friendly City: Prague
Partnership
- Regional Collaboration: Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Union (CEE)
- Modern and Future-proof Policymaking: DIIA City (Ukraine)
Peace
- Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law: Grupa Granica (Poland)
- Media Freedom and Responsible Reporting: Artifake (Armenia, Poland, Ukraine)
Individual Awards
- Public Figure of the Year: Maia Sandu (Moldova)
- Professor Günter Verheugen Award: Sir Malcolm Rifkind
- Marina Sturdza Award: Agnieszka Holland (Poland)
- Female Business Leader: Vedrana Likan (Croatia)
- Young Influencer: Gabriela Isac (Moldova)
Absolutely thrilled to receive an award which recognises our efforts in providing business and economic opportunities for all citizens of Ukraine and especially those who live in rural areas.
This award is very important because we are a network of people – we are 600 citizens in Poland. Then there is civil society all over Europe... they know we are doing this work. It is a great acknowledgement.
There are lots of opportunities in this region, and I hope that all the region's investment promotion agencies will collaborate to attract more and more foreign direct investment.
I am so proud of winning such a prestigious and independent award, especially considering the very high standard of all other nominies in our category.”
I am incredibly touched and moved to receive this award, and would like to pay tribute to the progress that the emerging Europe region has made over the past 30 years. It’s turned out dramatically better than anything that seemed likely in the 1980s, when these countries were all still part of, or under the influence of, the Soviet Union.
The Global Champion of 2018 places Solaris Bus & Coach in the elite group of enterprises that won in 2018, including such giants as Amazon and Siemens.
2021
With Covid-19 still casting a shadow over much of the world, the 2021 edition of the Emerging Europe Awards was held in a hybrid format—including high level discussions at the European Parliament—with hundreds of attendees in Europe’s capital, Brussels, being joined by thousands more watching the event online.
Winners, split across Emerging Europe's five pillars, based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (People, Planet, Prosperity, Partnership, Peace), were for the first time chosen by the global Emerging Europe community: in all more than 8,000 votes were cast for the various nominees.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the de facto leader of the country’s opposition movement, was named Emerging Europe’s Public Figure of the Year, recognition for her tireless efforts to keep the country’s fight for freedom and democracy in the international public eye since a rigged presidential election in August 2020.
The Professor Günter Verheugen Award, given to eminent individuals from outside emerging Europe who have contributed to the region’s prosperity and peace, has this year been given to Sir Suma Chakrabarti, former boss of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), while the Princess Marina Sturdza Award, given to eminent individuals from the region who have contributed to its prosperity, science, culture and peace, went to Professor Katalin Karikó, whose work formed the basis of the Covid-19 vaccine.
List of all winners:
People
- Artistic Achievement: Save our Home
- Health and Social Care: Youth Cancer Europe
- Young Empowerment: AsperIT
- Future-proof Education: The Coding School for Women
Planet
- Green Energy: Respect Energy
- Sustainable Lifestyles: Ecologists Without Borders (Ekologi Brez Meja)
Prosperity
- People-first Economy: The East Europe Foundation
- Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Social Impact Award
- Foreign Investor: EuroCape
- Global Champion: Sygic
- Investment Promotion Agency: Estonian Investment Agency
- Business-Friendly City: Łódź
Partnership
- Regional Collaboration: EIT Health Regional Innovation Scheme
- Modern and Future-proof Policymaking: Polish Code of Conduct in Healthcare
Peace
- Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law: All-Poland Women’s Strike
- Media Freedom and Responsible Reporting: NEXTA
Individual Awards
- Public Figure of the Year: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya
- Professor Günter Verheugen Award: Sir Suma Chakrabarti
- Marina Sturdza Award: Katalin Karikó
- Female Business Leader: Vera Platonova
- Young Influencer: Edita Velić
I am extremely honoured and humbled to receive the Public Figure of the Year Award. When I joined the presidential campaign in the summer of 2020, I was frightened but I wanted to help. Together we have shown the world what power participatory democracy can unleash. My only role as a leader is to listen to people, to make their voices heard and to harness the power of collective intelligence.
This is my first lifestyle achievement award, and I have very mixed feelings. So let’s call it an award for lifetime achievements so far. I see myself as an influencer for the future of Europe. [...] Any European nation that wants to be part of the process of European integration has the right to do so. That right cannot be denied. We need more Europe, not less.
I am incredibly touched and moved to receive this award, and would like to pay tribute to the progress that the emerging Europe region has made over the past 30 years. It’s turned out dramatically better than anything that seemed likely in the 1980s, when these countries were all still part of, or under the influence of, the Soviet Union.
The Global Champion of 2018 places Solaris Bus & Coach in the elite group of enterprises that won in 2018, including such giants as Amazon and Siemens.
2020
The Covid-19 pandemic meant that the 2020 edition of the Emerging Europe Awards, showcasing the best of the emerging Europe region—individuals, public and private organisations as well as projects and initiatives—which had been scheduled to take place at the European Parliament in Brussels, was held digitally.
Interest in, and the impact of, the awards remained high, however, with the year’s laureates including former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and Bosnian musician Goran Bregović: both given Emerging Europe’s Remarkable Achievement Awards, and the EU’s anti-corruption chief Laura Codruţa Kövesi, who was named as Emerging Europe’s Public Figure of the Year.
The city of Budapest was chosen as the most business-friendly city in the region in a survey carried out by over 50 site selection experts and FDI advisers, while Enterprise Estonia was named the region’s leading investment promotion agency.
The Emerging Europe Young Empowerment Initiative meanwhile was EIT Jumpstarter, a programme supporting students and scientific teams from emerging Europe to turn their innovative ideas into a business.
Olga Tokarczuk’s Nobel Prize Lecture meanwhile was named Artistic Achievement of the Year.
Thank you Emerging Europe. Single parents and their families face unique challenges, often juggling multiple roles and responsibilities. They are the unseen heroes of our society, demonstrating many values, some of them being strength, resilience, and determination.
It is a genuine thrill to receive this award. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in life to serve in public office. I am even more grateful for the chance in recent decades to help create a world of opportunity for young people, especially those from emerging Europe.”
2019
The Emerging Europe Awards returned to London in 2019, once again featuring a high-level networking event at the Houses of Parliament, and the awards ceremony itself at the EBRD.
The ceremony saw the World Bank’s CEO Kristalina Georgieva, and two incumbent prime ministers, Alexis Tsipras of Greece and Zoran Zaev of North Macedonia, handed awards for remarkable achievement.
Hungary’s innovation-driven pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter won in the Research and Development Category, while Jaguar Land Rover’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia, was named the Best FDI Project.
Other winners at the ceremony included Romania’s Grampet Group, the Regional Champion of the Year.
Praga Koneser Center won Best Urban Renewal Project for the transformation of the former Warsaw Vodka Factory into a business and cultural centre, with Poland’s Holo4Labs taking the title of Innovation Initiative of the Year.
List of all winners:
- The Professor Günter Verheugen Remarkable Achievement Award: Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister of Greece, and Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of North Macedonia
- The Princess Marina Sturdza Remarkable Achievement Award: Kristalina Georgieva, CEO, World Bank
- FDI Project of the Year: Jaguar Land Rover, Slovakia
- Global Champion of the Year: LUG, Poland
- Regional Champion of the Year: Grampet Group, Romania
- Research and Development Project of the Year: Richter Gedeon, Hungary
- Innovation Initiative of the Year: Holo4Labs, Poland
- Urban Renewal Project of the Year: Praga Koneser Centre, Poland
- City FDI Promotion Strategy of the Year: Vilnius, Lithuania
- Social Impact Start-Up of the Year: InsignesLab, Poland
- Equality-Friendly Initiative of the Year: LGBT Certificate in Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Tourism Campaign of the Year: Estonian Way, Estonia
- Young Empowerment Initiative of the Year: Promocija, Montenegro
- Young Influencer of the Year: Mateusz Hołda, Poland
- National Investment Promotion Agency of the Year: Invest Lithuania, Lithuania
- Business Friendly City of the Year: Warsaw, Poland
I am incredibly touched and moved to receive this award, and would like to pay tribute to the progress that the emerging Europe region has made over the past 30 years. It’s turned out dramatically better than anything that seemed likely in the 1980s, when these countries were all still part of, or under the influence of, the Soviet Union.
The Global Champion of 2018 places Solaris Bus & Coach in the elite group of enterprises that won in 2018, including such giants as Amazon and Siemens.
Absolutely thrilled to receive an award which recognises our efforts in providing business and economic opportunities for all citizens of Ukraine and especially those who live in rural areas.
2018
The first Emerging Europe Awards, held in London, marked the beginning of a tradition that recognises organisations, businesses and individuals shaping the region’s future.
A high-level networking reception at the Houses of Parliament set the tone. It was followed by an investment session and a panel discussion featuring Olga Grygier-Siddons (PwC CEE), Peter Stračar (GE Europe), and CNN’s Sam Burke, who led a conversation on the region’s shifting landscape, and an Awards ceremony, all taking place at the headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Winners were chosen through research and jury selection, ensuring that real impact took centre stage. The evening’s defining moment came when Professor Günter Verheugen was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award—a tribute to his role in bringing almost half of the region back to Europe.
A bold start to what would become a lasting tradition of celebrating excellence and ambition.
List of all winners:
- Invest Lithuania — Investment Promotion Agency
- City FDI Promotion Strategy — Wrocław
- Plečnik’s Ljubljana — Tourism Campaign
- Siemens Czech Republic — Research and Development Category
- Solaris — Global Champion of the Year
- Amazon — the FDI Project of the Year
- the City of Tirana’ New Bazaar — Best Urban Renewal Project
- Teach for Armenia — Young Empowerment Initiative
- Deepdee — the Social Impact Start-Up of the Year Award
- WeCare/MenCare — Equality-Friendly Initiative of the Year.
- Günter Verheugen — Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is very important because we are a network of people – we are 600 citizens in Poland. Then there is civil society all over Europe... they know we are doing this work. It is a great acknowledgement.
I am incredibly touched and moved to receive this award, and would like to pay tribute to the progress that the emerging Europe region has made over the past 30 years. It’s turned out dramatically better than anything that seemed likely in the 1980s, when these countries were all still part of, or under the influence of, the Soviet Union.
The Global Champion of 2018 places Solaris Bus & Coach in the elite group of enterprises that won in 2018, including such giants as Amazon and Siemens.
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