The top honour went to the City of Antwerp (Belgium) for its visionary Ecosystem for Sustainable Chemistry, recognised as Europe’s most creative and inspiring entrepreneurship initiative of the year.
The Grand Jury Prize can be awarded to any category and celebrates the initiative deemed most creative, inspiring, and impactful in promoting entrepreneurship across Europe.
Antwerp’s Ecosystem for Sustainable Chemistry is driving the green transformation of one of Europe’s most vital industries, the chemical sector. Home to the continent’s largest petrochemical cluster, the city is turning a traditional industrial base into a powerful engine for climate-friendly innovation in line with the European Green Deal.
Through close collaboration between industry, academia, and government, Antwerp has created an environment where sustainable chemistry can thrive — supporting entrepreneurs with access to infrastructure, expertise, financing, and markets that allow ideas to scale from early research to full industrial production.
Since its launch in 2020, the ecosystem has helped startups develop and commercialise sustainable chemical technologies, attracting more than €800 million in investment and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness in green industry.
What makes Antwerp’s ecosystem truly unique is its four-project structure, designed to support entrepreneurs at every stage of innovation. Together, these projects form a continuous innovation pathway — from scientific discovery to full industrial application — that makes Antwerp a global reference point for sustainable chemistry.
