A Prize for Innovation in Meteorology

A substantial part of the national gross product in many countries is weather dependent. National weather services and the private sector have been innovative for more than a century to make better use of our meteorological knowledge. However, large gains are still to be made and the prize encourages individuals and groups to propose ideas how meteorology in a practical way can further move society forward. Meteorology can make society safer, can deliver costs savings, and improve the lives of large groups of people.

The winners of the 2019 prize are Malcolm Kitchen and Chris Brunt (see News page). The next prize will be awarded at the 6-10 September 2021 meeting of the European Meteorological Society in Barcelona, Spain . The winner of the competition will receive €25,000 in cash and it is also foreseen to grant a lower amount to the second and third prize. Winners will retain full rights to their ideas.

Application timeline

On September 10 2019 the Harry Otten Prize was awarded to Malcolm Kitchen and Chris Brunt for their idea "A new method of measuring atmospheric refractivity". The prize worth €25,000 has been awarded for the fourth time. You can find more information in the news section. The next prize round will start in September 2020 and the next Harry Otten Prize will be awarded subsequently at the EMS meeting in September 2021 in Barcelona, Spain.

The application procedure is simple and helps you to provide all necessary information. The exact rules of the contest and additional guidance can also be found on this site.