The Icelandic Innovation Awards recognize a company that has demonstrated outstanding achievement in developing an innovative product or service based on research and innovation, and that has achieved notable commercial success.
Nominations are now open for the Icelandic Innovation Awards 2026. The award is presented annually to a company that has excelled in developing a new product or service built on research and innovation, while demonstrating significant success in the marketplace.
Click here to submit a nomination.
The purpose of the award is to highlight the vital link between research, knowledge creation, and increased value creation in the economy.
Anyone may submit a nomination by completing the online nomination form here. Nominators are asked to provide the name of the company and a brief explanation of why they believe it deserves the award. Once the nomination period has closed, the awards committee will review all submissions and may request additional information from nominated companies where appropriate. The judging panel consists of representatives from the award organizers — Rannís (The Icelandic Centre for Research), the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office, Business Iceland, and The New Business Venture Fund Kría — along with representatives from the winners of the past three years.
The deadline for submitting nominations is on the 1st September.
The recipient of the Icelandic Innovation Award 2026 will be announced at the Icelandic Innovation Forum, which will take place on 29 October.
In selecting the recipient, the judging panel considers whether the company is an innovative startup built on novel technology or ideas, and whether its operations are knowledge-intensive. The evaluation also considers the value created by its products or services, its commercial success, its long-term growth potential, and whether its approach to innovation management serves as an example for others. Finally, the panel assesses whether the company can inspire other entrepreneurs to follow a similar path.
Click here to submit a nomination.
