Hungary’s Innovation Grand Prize Draws Record Entries
Nearly twice as many innovation projects were submitted to the Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize this year as in any previous edition, with a total of 91 companies filing applications by the deadline.
Nearly twice as many innovation projects were submitted to the Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize this year as in any previous edition, with a total of 91 companies filing applications by the deadline. Hungary’s Innovation Grand Prize Draws Record Entries The award program, launched for the 34th time by the Hungarian Innovation Association (MISZ), is being run in cooperation with the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the National Chamber of Agriculture, and the National Innovation Agency, with main support from the Ministry of Culture and Innovation and the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH). The 34th Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize was announced on November 6, 2025. Sector breakdown of this year’s entries shows industry leading the field with 25 submissions, followed by IT with 19. Agriculture contributed 10 applications, while energy and environmental protection each accounted for eight. Healthcare projects made up six of the submissions. The competition also saw a record number of startups entering, with 15 early-stage companies submitting projects. Beyond overall volume, organizers point to a growing spread of innovation outcomes that are already tangible in the real economy. Eligible entries were required to be implemented in practice and to have delivered measurable business or social benefits during 2025. MISZ says the aim is to identify and recognize the strongest Hungarian innovation results and to highlight best practices in innovative products and technologies that also meet environmental and sustainability considerations. A notable addition this year was a nomination pathway that allowed organizations involved with domestic innovation to recommend companies for the applicant pool. The nominating bodies included the partner and co-organizing institutions involved in the award program, as well as the Entrepreneurship Club of Corvinus, the Hungarian Business Angel Network, the National Bank of Hungary, Startup Hungary and STRT Holding. These nominating organizations had recommended more than 230 Hungarian companies with standout innovation results by the end of November. The wider funnel, combined with the record number of formal applications, suggests a higher level of engagement across company sizes and sectors, and an effort to draw attention achievements that might otherwise remain less visible outside their immediate markets.
Innovation Elite Since its foundation in 1991, more than 1,500 entries have been submitted for the Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize. Of those, 255 have received various prizes, a group the MISZ describes as forming. the domestic innovation elite. The organizers also noted that the Innovation Trademark, granted by the Innovation Coalition (established recently at the initiative. of the National Bank of Hungary and the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with MISZ also participating) has awarded to nine companies that had previously won one of MISZ’s innovation prizes. A further 16 of the new trademark holders are competing for the Innovation Grand Prize this year. “The Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize and the nine related sectorspecific innovation awards have recognized the most outstanding innovation achievements for more than three decades. These innovations move the Hungarian economy forward, and the more there are, the greater the chance of sustained, well-founded economic growth in Hungary,” said Csaba Bothe, managing director of MISZ. He added that increasing the number of successful innovations is a shared interest and cited MISZ’s role in establishing the Innovation Coalition and the Hungarian Innovator trademark. “We are pleased that this year, more innovative companies than ever before were able to demonstrate a 2025 innovation result that qualifies them to take part in the competition,” Bőthe said. The judging panel has begun evaluating the entries. The results are set to be published on the evening of March 18, with the winners to be introduced the following day at the InnoSummit2026 innovation conference.
Source: Magyar Innovációs Szövetség
