Lifestyle
Last updated: 5.8.2025
From the minute you wake up, you interact with countless inventions: your coffee machine, phone, electric toothbrush, eyeglasses, soaps and shampoo. And if you wear a smartwatch to bed, there are patented inventions at work while you sleep.
Here's a look at European Inventor Award and Young Inventors Prize winners and finalists whose work we may encounter daily, even if we don't always realise it.
Smart labels for food
Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and Luis Chimeno developed biodegradable smart labels to monitor food freshness in real-time. By detecting bacterial growth, the labels offer a practical solution to help prevent food poisoning and reduce unnecessary food waste.
The world’s most powerful permanent magnet
Masato Sagawa’s permanent magnet is used in a range of applications, including mobile phones, electric cars, security systems, jewellery, ABS brakes, pumps, generators, computer hard drives and more.
Quick release fasteners
Joachim Fiedler’s magnetic-mechanical fasteners are used by millions in a range of everyday products, from bike helmets to car seats.
High-speed internet through LED lights
Together with his team, German professor Harald Haas invented LiFi – a mobile wireless technology that transmits data through light sources such as LEDs rather than radio frequencies.
Biodegradable pads and tampons to combat period poverty
Rafaella de Bona Gonçalves has developed biodegradable sanitary products for disadvantaged groups in her country using readily available harvest waste.
Fingerprint sensors for mobile device security
Bo Pi and Yi He developed the world's first fingerprint sensor able to check both fingerprint patterns and the presence of blood flow. Their invention provides unparalleled security for millions of smartphone users.
Flexible solar cells for portable devices
Henrik Lindström and Giovanni Fili developed a solar cell film that can be built into devices such as bicycle lights and headphones, ushering in a new era in self-charging electronics.
Sustainable textile from pineapple leaves
From waste to high-fashion: Carmen Hijosa uses pineapple leaves, which would ordinarily go to waste, to create a versatile, sustainable material for clothing manufacturers worldwide.
Organic semiconductors for smartphones and other electronic displays
German physicist Karl Leo transformed the electronics industry, bringing sleeker, brighter displays to smartphones and other electronic devices.
Lithium-ion battery
Akira Yoshino developed the lithium-ion battery, an invention used every day by billions of people around the world.
Vision for vehicles to improve road safety
Millions of cars are safer to drive thanks to Mobileye’s advanced driver assistance system that uses AI and a single-lens camera to spot and avoid traffic hazards in real time.
Video compression to enable streaming
If you enjoy streaming video, read all about Marta Karczewicz, the Polish inventor who spent years working on how to compress video files more effectively.
Inflatable bike helmet
Form, function and safety: Terese Alstin and Anna Haupt developed an "invisible" bicycle helmet that offers protection, shock absorption and everyday convenience.
QR code
A Japanese team invented the QR code, a 2D bar code that allows scanners to find and interpret information 20 times faster than matrix codes.
Liquid lenses for phones and other devices
The brilliantly simple principle that oil and water don't mix is behind the "liquid lenses" invented by French scientist Bruno Berge.
Sustainable corks for wine and other industries
A Portuguese team’s incredibly simple invention to increase the volume of cork is helping producers to meet global demand.
Self-adjustable eyeglasses
Simply brilliant: Joshua Silver’s liquid-filled lenses can be adjusted by individual wearers without the need for an optician.
Jet regulator for water taps
A small jet regulator for bathroom and kitchen taps invented by Hermann Greter and Christoph Weisunlocks enormous water savings of up to 50%.
Oktoberfest: No beer without patents
On the busiest days, bartenders at the Munich Oktoberfest serve up to 70 000 litres of beer – all in record time. Thanks to modern technology, the beer keeps flowing and never peters out during the festival's 16-day run.