“As the world combats COVID-19 and adjusts to the new normal, I firmly believe that we must continue to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in order to ensure future economic prosperity,” said Frans van Houten. “At Philips, we remain focused on our triple duty of care: addressing critical customer needs, safeguarding the health & safety of our employees, and ensuring business continuity. I am pleased to see that the Philips Innovation Award organization is also following these principles, with this year’s Philips Innovation Award final now being a virtual event, live broadcasted via various channels. It is more important than ever to encourage entrepreneurship among students and motivate the leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow to take their first steps. Since its inception, the Philips Innovation Award has grown tremendously. I am extremely proud of the coaching network, start-up capital, and encouragement the platform continues to offer to students. Over the years, several of our winning students have become successful entrepreneurs - a truly fantastic achievement.”
