Net-Zero Industries Award Winners Honoured at IVECF in Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria – 10 April 2026

Leading innovators in industrial decarbonisation were brought to the global stage at the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF), held on 10 April 2026 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria, where the winners of the Net-Zero Industries Award were officially honoured during a live ceremony.

As a flagship initiative of Mission Innovation’s Net-Zero Industries Mission, the Award recognises outstanding individuals and organisations advancing the transition to a climate-neutral industry. Following their announcement at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the ceremony at IVECF provided a great platform to celebrate the international main winners and connect them with a global audience of policymakers, industry leaders, and experts.

Recognising Global Excellence

The Net-Zero Industries Award showcases breakthrough innovation across three main categories:

Young Talent – Main Winner: Saravanan Janakiram (Chief Technology Officer, Aqualung Carbon Capture, Norway),
Female Innovator – Main Winner: Christine Gabardo (Co-Founder & CTO, Cert Systems Inc., Canada),
Outstanding Project – Main Winner: Helios Cycle (Helios Project Ltd., Israel), honoured remotely during the ceremony, with the trophy to be delivered subsequently.

In addition, the Special Prize for Electrification was awarded to Polar Night Energy’s Sand Battery (Finland), with a video message presented during the ceremony.

Together, these awardees represent cutting-edge solutions to one of the most pressing global challenges: decarbonising energy-intensive industries. Their work spans breakthrough carbon capture technologies, circular carbon solutions, and zero-emission industrial processes.

A Global Platform for Impact and Collaboration

The third edition of the Award attracted 83 submissions from 22 countries, highlighting the strong global momentum behind industrial decarbonisation. Winners and finalists were selected by an independent international jury based on innovation, impact, and scientific excellence.

By bringing these pioneers to the IVECF stage, the ceremony not only recognised excellence but also fostered international exchange and collaboration. It showcased scalable solutions across key sectors such as iron and steel, cement and lime, chemicals, and other energy-intensive industries, demonstrating how innovation can translate into real-world impact.

Highlighting National Champions

In addition to the international main winners, the Net-Zero Industries Mission also recognised outstanding national contributions across member countries. Some of the National Winners were able to attend the award ceremony in Vienna and were presented with certificates in recognition of their achievements. They exemplify the innovation and commitment of their respective countries:

Outstanding Project – National Winners:

Australia – Innovative Beneficiation Technologies for Green Ironmaking
Alfonso Chinnici (University of Adelaide)
Austria – GreenBricks: The Carbon-Neutral Brick Factory
Wilfried Lechner & Rene Pesendorfer (Wienerberger), Veronika Wilk, Annemarie Schneeberger & Tillman Barz (AIT)

Female Innovator – National Winner Austria:

Dr. Sara Vecchiato (IFA Tulln)

Young Talent – National Winner Austria:

Rene Baumann (AEE Intec)

These National Winners complement the international main winners and demonstrate the global impact of the Net-Zero Industries Mission in advancing sustainable, low-carbon industrial solutions.

Driving the Net-Zero Transition Forward

The Net-Zero Industries Award continues to serve as a key instrument for recognising and accelerating innovation in heavy industry. By providing international visibility and connecting leading projects with global stakeholders, the Award strengthens collaboration and supports the scaling of impactful solutions.

As industries worldwide intensify their efforts to reach net-zero emissions, the achievements of these winners offer both inspiration and practical pathways for transformation, demonstrating that the transition to a climate-neutral industry is not only underway, but accelerating.

The UK’s support for the Net-Zero Industries Award in its third edition was pivotal, underscoring the crucial role of international collaboration in accelerating industrial decarbonisation. It highlighted the importance of global partnerships in advancing the transition to a net-zero future and showcased the UK’s leadership in driving sustainable industrial transformation.

Booklet: 2025 Net-Zero Industries Award winners, runners-up and national winners (PDF)