For the past decade, the European Innovation Council (EIC) has promoted the European Capital of Innovation Awards - also known as iCapital - as part of Horizon Europe to celebrate Europe's major urban centres as dynamic and inclusive innovation ecosystems.

In 2024, the competition sought to highlight cities that have reshaped their communities, integrating innovation into their daily lives - from pioneering sustainability initiatives to promoting inclusive digital transformation - and setting models of innovation and progress for other centres. To do this, the awards were divided into two main categories:

• The European Capital of Innovation category for cities with a population of a minimum 250 000 inhabitants;
• The European Rising Innovative City category that targets towns and cities with a population of 50,000 and up to 249,999 inhabitants.

The first of these two categories was contested between the cities of Espoo (Finland), Turin (Italy), and the West Midlands (United Kingdom), in which the Italian city (Turin) won the title of European Capital of Innovation. Braga (Portugal), Linz (Austria), and Oulu (Finland) were the three finalists in the category ‘The European Rising Innovative City’, which recognised the Portuguese city (Braga) as a driving force behind European innovation.

As the only Portuguese city in the competition, Braga has again positioned itself on the European scene, distinguishing itself as a pioneering force in sustainable urban development, incorporating an innovative approach to economic growth, social inclusion, and cultural richness.

Through initiatives such as the InvestBraga and Startup Braga, the city has catalysed the growth of startups and new companies, fostering a remarkable and differentiated innovation community. The city's recognition also extends to the cultural sector, where initiatives such as Braga Media Arts and spaces such as gnration act as agents of development, offering possibilities for artistic creation and experimentation, combined with technological innovation, which consolidate and enrich the city's cultural identity, making it a European benchmark in this area.

The winners of the European Capital of Innovation Award were revealed this afternoon during the third day of the Web Summit event in Lisbon. Learn more about the award-winning cities in The European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital) 2024-25.