[Call for Submissions] Inventor of the Year 2026 – Russia’s Premier Innovation Competition (Russia)
[Call for Submissions] Inventor of the Year 2026 – Russia’s Premier Innovation Competition
Are you an engineer, scientist, university or school student, or independent inventor with a patented solution that delivers real economic or social impact? The Inventor of the Year 2026 competition, held under Russia’s Decade of Science and Technology, is now accepting applications.
This prestigious national contest – backed by the Government of the Russian Federation and supported by President Vladimir Putin – has already attracted over 2,500 participants in just three years. This year, Competition Grand Prix is 1,000,000 RUB and 61 winners will be awarded prizes, with top honors receiving 200,000 RUB each.
Who Can Apply? The competition is open to both Russian and foreign citizens. Participants are divided into two categories:
Young Inventor: Students (secondary vocational and higher education), postgraduates, young scientists (up to 35), and schoolchildren.
Inventor: Employees of industrial enterprises, small tech companies, research and educational organizations, and individual inventors.
Key Requirement Applicants must hold a valid intellectual property protection document (patent) in the Russian Federation.
Nomination Areas
The competition covers a wide range of engineering, technology, and industrial fields across eight major categories:
🛠️ Means of Production and Automation
Machine tool building (metal-cutting machines, rolling mills, presses, etc.)
Toolmaking and industrial tooling
Industrial robotics and robotic systems
Additive technologies and equipment (3D printers, layer-by-layer synthesis systems)
Foundry equipment
Production process automation
✈️ Industrial Support for Transport Mobility
Aviation industry
Automotive industry
Railway engineering
Shipbuilding and water transport
🧪 New Materials and Chemistry
Materials science
Chemical industry
Technologies for processing rare and rare-earth metals
🌾 Technological Support for Food Security
Agricultural machinery and equipment
Food and processing industry
Storage, transportation, and packaging of food products
Breeding and genetics in the agro-industrial complex
🚁 Unmanned Aerial Systems
Development, production, and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
Control, navigation, and communication systems for UAVs
Payloads for UAVs
⚛️ New Nuclear and Energy Technologies
Nuclear industry
Energy engineering
Oil and gas industry
Renewable energy sources
🛰️ Space Technology Development
Spacecraft
Control, communication, and navigation systems for spacecraft
Technologies for space exploration and utilisation
🏥 New Technologies for Health Preservation
Medical equipment and devices
Pharmaceuticals
Diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation technologies
Digital health solutions and telemedicine
🌿 New Technologies in Bioeconomy
Agro-industrial and forestry complexes
Veterinary and medicine
Industry and ecology
Biofuels and biomaterials
Each nomination area will recognise three prize winners (including one winner) in each participant category.