The CTO of the Year Europe award promotes the importance of technology and innovation in Europe

"All the other decision-makers or members of the executive teams of companies are getting awards --- but nobody awarded the CTO", says Pekka Koponen, CEO of Spinverse on a video interview, recorded at the Annual Conference of EIRMA.

The CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of the Year 2014 award was launched to change this situation. The award will be given to the most innovative technology leader of a highly successful European company: a person who is both an inspiring leader and a foresighted technology manager. The award will recognize the most successful technology leaders coming from any industry in two categories: SMEs and large corporations.

The nominations are open until the 24th of August at http://www.ctoeurope.net . By nominating the person you believe to be the most prominent European technology leader and a good role model for everyone interested in technology, you help the person to become known also outside his or her company and industry, and support promoting the role of technology in European competitiveness and growth.

"Not every organisation has a CTO, and they can be head of research, they can be running R&D in one individual business unit, but what we are looking for is the person who is at the top of the organisation, working closely with the other people in the executive team, and who is also the spokesman for external relations of the company in the technology field. --- We like the term CTO; it as a CXO title shows that it is a high-ranking position in the organisation", continues Mr. Koponen who also acts as the secretary of the jury for the award.

For more information, please see the whole interview of Pekka Koponen on the topic.

The CTO of the Year Europe is awarded by EIRMA, the European Industrial Research Management Association, and Spinverse, and endorsed by Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission.