The winners for the 2012 Innovation Awards were yesterday proclaimed during a ceremony presided over by the Minister for Minister for Fair Competition, Small Business and Consumers Jason Azzopardi.

During his speech, Minister Azzopardi stated that it gave him great satisfaction to meet local talent who have so many capabilities and that such an occasion was an opportunity to award this creative and innovative talent. He promised that the Government will continue to promote local creativity and innovation.

The event was split up in four categories; first the Award for Creative Innovation won by Ruben Zahra with Jean Pierre Magro coming in second place. In the second category for the Award of Scientific Innovation, first place went to Daniel Micallef with Josette Camilleri coming in second.

The third category for the Award of Technological Innovation offered €10,000 to the winner Adrian Attard Trevisan and €5,000 to Stefan Engelbert for coming in second. The last category for the Special Award of most prominent Innovation was won by Pierre Axiaq who was given the sum of €5,000.

Dr Azzopardi spoke about the Creativity and Innovation Award Fund that was first introduced in the 2010 budget and he pointed out that in the 2013 budget, €60,000 were allocated to this fund to encourage investment in creativity and innovation in education, art, technology and manufacture.

The Government offers fiscal incentives for intellectual property, such as tax credits for small and medium businesses to register their intellectual properties under the 2009 Malta Enterprise Act Regulation for Assistance in Research and Development stated Minister Azzopardi. He concluded by congratulating the winners and encouraged other individuals to make use of the incentives offered by the Government in this area.