Today, the European Commission announced Grenoble Alpes Métropole and Aalborg as the winners of the 2026 European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital). Supported by Horizon Europe, this year’s prestigious awards mark the eleventh year of celebrating cities that excel in adopting innovative solutions to enhance the lives of their residents. 

Grenoble Alpes Métropole has been awarded the title of European Capital of Innovation, receiving a €1 million prize. The city secured the top spot through its forward-thinking approach to sustainable urban development, emphasising renewable energy solutions, smart infrastructure, and community-driven innovation to tackle environmental and social challenges. 

Aalborg has been named the European Rising Innovative City, receiving a €500,000 prize. Aalborg distinguished itself by effectively integrating technology into urban planning, fostering a vibrant innovation ecosystem that values collaboration across diverse sectors, including education, healthcare, and clean energy.

2026 award rankings

The awards also recognised runner-up cities for their outstanding contributions to European innovation. Runners-up in the main category receive €100,000 each, while runners-up in the Rising City category receive €50,000.  

European Capital of Innovation category Grenoble Alpes Métropole (France), WinnerRotterdam (the Netherlands), 2nd placeLiverpool (United Kingdom), 3rd placeEuropean Rising Innovative City category Aalborg (Denmark), WinnerSan Sebastian (Spain), 2nd placeNicosia (Cyprus), 3rd place

 

Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said:

Congratulations to Grenoble Alpes Métropole and Aalborg for winning the 2026 European Capital of Innovation Awards. These cities show that innovation is not only about technology, but also about creating inclusive communities and improving everyday life for everyone. They are becoming global examples of how cities can grow and transform in smart and sustainable ways, supporting the goals of the EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy and the Competitiveness Compass.

 

The winners were announced at the Cities Innovate Summit in Turin, the reigning European Capital of Innovation (2024-2025). Organised in cooperation with the City of Torino and Eurocities, the summit focused on the future of urban innovation. 

Momchil Sabev, Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), presented the awards to cities whose innovative practices have cultivated more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities.

Background

Supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under Horizon Europe, the European Capital of Innovation Awards – also known as iCapital – honour urban centres that effectively synchronise citizens, academia, businesses, and public authorities to drive transformative changes.

The competition is open to cities within EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe. Winners are selected following thorough evaluations by two distinguished panels of independent experts.

Celebrating its eleventh anniversary, the iCapital Awards have previously recognised cities such as Barcelona (2014), Amsterdam (2016), Paris (2017), Athens (2018), Nantes (2019), Leuven (2020), Dortmund (2021), Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropole (2022), Lisbon (2023) and Turin (2024-2025) as European Capitals of Innovation. In the Rising Innovative City category, past winners include Vantaa (2021), Haarlem (2022), Linköping (2023), and Braga (2024-2025). 

For more information

European Capital of Innovation Awards

European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital) 2026: the winners