About the Award

Description: To recognize the entrepreneurial commercialization of ideas into actual products. Nominations should cite and describe the original work that has been translated into commercial application as well as the commercial product and its success. The nomination must also describe the unique characteristics of the transformation into the commercialized product that justify the award. The current and future impact of the commercial product is a fundamental element of the merit for selection.

Established: 2005

Prize: $2000 and plaque. In case there are multiple winners, each recipient will receive a plaque and the honorarium will be split equally between the recipients.

Funding: This award is co-sponsored by the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society (RAS) and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). Each organization will provide $1000 of the award each year.

Eligibility: Individual or team of individuals responsible for the contribution. IEEE-RAS membership is not required.

Basis for Judging: An awards committee comprising representatives of IEEE-RAS and IFR will evaluate the applications and select finalists to present plenary speeches at the IEEE/IFR Workshop on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Robotics and Automation.

Presentation: The Award will be presented during the IERA workshop which will be held at a location agreed upon by the IEEE-RAS and the IFR.

 

How to Apply: 

Applications should describe the original work that already has been translated into a commercial success (which can be bought or ordered).

The application must include statements regarding:

  • description of the innovation/product/application novelty/uniqueness of the product sustained competitive advantage
  • stages of the product genesis
  • market analysis, economic viability and pathway for commercialization (ideally including business plan and KPI’s)
  • current and future impact on and relevance to industry
  • name of the recipient of the price (this is a personal award)

Applications should not exceed a maximum length of 5 pages. Product descriptions and public relation material will not be accepted as an application. References and links to online material are permitted.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: Please send as PDF document (< 10 MB) no later than February 15, 2026 either to [email protected] or to [email protected].

Winners of this Award