European Inventor Award 2013 – Susana Silva, Helena Margarida Nunes Pereira, Rui Luis Gobcalves do Reis, Antonio Velez Marques (Industry)

This team of researchers (PT) at Amorim Group, the world’s leading producer and distributor of cork products, has developed an efficient and environmentally-friendly method to maximise cork’s volume in order to attain significantly greater yields from the harvested material. Using only microwaves and water, it is the first technique of its kind that doesn’t require sophisticated machinery or use any harmful chemicals.