European Commission launches €3m prize to improve air quality in cities

A prize of €3 million will be awarded to the person or team that develops the best material to reduce the concentration of particulate matter in urban areas. The aim is to improve air quality in cities and reduce the serious health risks posed by particulate matter (PM), the air pollutant which has the most severe impact on health.

The Horizon Prize on materials for clean air aims to stimulate innovative thinking to find a material-based solution to the problem. The material can be made from any chemical substance (e.g. plastic, concrete, asphalt, etc.) capable or reducing PM concentration in the air (e.g. by capturing it).

The prize is open to established scientists as well as other innovators. It leaves applicants total freedom to come up with the most promising and effective solution. The award criteria just require the solution to be affordable, sustainable, innovative and well-designed.

the rules of contest are available online. Contestants will be able to submit their entries from 26 January 2017 until 23 January 2018.