Welcome to the 6th edition of the Cosmetic Victories
The Competition
One of the most challenging issues of the Cosmetic Valley is to detect and support the young innovative companies, as well as to promote the research and the cosmetic sciences. This led to the creation of The Cosmetic Victories competition in 2015, sponsored by the Cosmetic Valley-ESSEC endowment fund.
The competition, recognized by the profession, aims to reward and promote students, researchers, start-ups and SMEs in charge of innovative projects, related to the perfume and cosmetics industry, as well as to promote the research and innovation that will participate in the future of the cosmetics industry.
Objectives of the competition
- To support projects run by researchers, start-ups and entrepreneurs from the perfume and cosmetics sector
- To promote the worldwide research excellency
- To facilitate the access to the market
The Cosmetic Victories awards 2 prizes:
- The Academic Prize, for the most relevant research project that meets the new technical challenges of the cosmetic industry
- The Industry Prize, for the best cosmetic innovation of the year
Who can take part in the competition?
The Cosmetic Victories competition is open to contestants from all around the world:
- The Academic Prize: for PhD students, post-doctoral fellows and researchers
- The Industry Prize: for managers of business-creation projects, innovative start-ups and SMEs
Which types of research & innovation?
- From primary research project to applied research project, all research works are eligible (all kind of TRL)
- All kind of innovation may be presented as a project submission, in any field of application of the cosmetics industry's value chain: raw materials, formulation, packaging, tests, finished goods, …
- The innovations can come from the perfume and cosmetics industry or can be the result of technology transfer from other sectors to the cosmetic field: new technologies, new products, new processes, new services, new concepts or new organisations.
The prize
Recognition by the profession
The international jury’s excellence adds value and considerable scope to each prize-winner’s project.
International exposure
Following the competition, there will be major national and international press coverage.
Technical backing
Project holders might be supported by Cosmetic Valley to develop their project, facilitating collaborations, and connecting with Beauty Hub, the cosmetics accelerator
Financial backing
To support the competition’s prize-winning projects, and based on the COSMETIC VALLEY-ESSEC endowment fund, winners of The Cosmetic Victories award will receive a cash prize of €10,000.
Submit
To take part all you need to do is register by filling in the following form in English.
The Jury
The Cosmetic Victories relies on an international prestigious jury, composed of scientific and innovation cosmetic experts and members of the major companies and top names in the perfume and cosmetics sector.
The panel of judges brought together major public institutions, representatives from the profession and prestigious French brands:
Marc-Antoine Jamet, Cosmetic Valley/ President
Bruno Bavouzet, LVMH Recherche/President
Emmanuelle Bonardi, Shiseido/ Packaging Development Director
Jean-Christophe Choulot, Caudalie/ R&D Director
Nathalie Clément, French Ministry of Economy and Finance /Director-General for Enterprise, whose portfolio includes the leather, fragrances, and cosmetics sector
Carole Chrétien, CNRS/ Enterprise relations Director
Michel Daigney, BPI France/ Sectorial manager – Chimical and environment
Laurence Dorlhac, Journalist
Virginie Fera, Yves Rocher/ Innovation and skin efficiency Director
Pierre Garçon, Ecomundo/CEOl
Christophe Masson, Cosmetic Valley/CEO
Julien Morel, ESSEC/ Director
Xavier Ormancey, Pierre Fabre/ R&D Director Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique.
Members of the Selection Committee 2021
The Endowment Fund
The COSMETIC VALLEY-ESSEC endowment fund was set up in 2013 to promote French research and to take part in developing employment in the perfume and cosmetics field, with the aim of showcasing the reputation of French cosmetics and the “Made in France” label.
That is why the Endowment Fund authorised the establishment of an annual international competition for young researchers, academics, university students and those from France’s prestigious higher education institutes, as well as people in charge of innovative projects (from start-ups and SMEs) in the perfume and cosmetics field.
The first edition of the competition was launched in 2015 with the name “The Cosmetic Victories”.
2021 Winners
The Academic Prize
Pr. Laurent Billon - Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR CNRS/UPPA 5254, Université de Pau et Pays de l'Adour UPPA (FRANCE)
"Bio-inspired Microgels for Cosmetics … and what else? new generation of bio-inspired microgels with a cosmetic application"
IPREM works on a new generation of bio-inspired microgels with amazing properties, opening the door to applications for cosmetics and health. "Microgels are tiny sponges containing up to 95% water, with swelling/shrinking abilities under stimuli effect," explains Laurent Billon. This unique ability can be used to encapsulate/release active ingredients and the water evaporation at the skin surface forms an adhesive, elastic and mechano-electrical film, which is used to gradually diffuse a cosmetic active ingredient.
The Industry Prize
Pr. Marcin Lukaszewicz & Dr Agnieszka Lewinska - InventionBio SA (POLAND)
"Biorefinery-based technology in Smart Delivery Systems"
The Invention(Bio) is a new smart delivery system based on green chemicals obtained from our Company’s patented biorefinery in a waste-free, environmentally-friendly process. Encapsulation allows to deliver active substances to the expected part of the skin, making it possible to lower the concentrations of the active substances and reduce costs without losing effectiveness. The solution may also improve the smell, color, safety, and stability of the products. Less is more!