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The materials engineer and researcher Elvira Fortunato, “mother” of the paper transistor, was honored this Wednesday by the European Commission with the 2020 Horizon Impact Award, for the creation of the first transparent screen with eco-sustainable materials. The award, endowed with 10,000 euros, distinguishes scientific projects financed with European funds and whose “results had an impact on society,” the researcher, who directs Cenimat – Materials Research Center, at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, told Lusa. of which she is vice-rector.
Elvira Fortunato was the only Portuguese winner, among other distinguished scientists from a list of 10 finalists. The announcement of the five winners of this year’s Horizon Impact Award, the second since 2019, was made in Brussels, Belgium.
The “Invisible” project, with which the Portuguese researcher was awarded, consisted of the development of the first transparent screen from a low-cost, non-degradable semiconductor material that produces better results, zinc oxide, which enters the composition of baby ointments or sunscreens. The technology, patented by the director of Cenimat and the electronic “giant” Samsung, is applicable to mobile phones, televisions, computers or “tablets”, allowing higher resolution images to be obtained.
According to Elvira Fortunato, a pioneer in transparent electronics, the project represented a “revolution in the area of semiconductor materials”, using “environmentally friendly technologies” that do not waste as much energy. The “Invisible” was funded with 2.25 million euros by the European Research Council, an agency of the European Commission that supports scientific research, through grants. The project ran for five years, between 2009 and 2014.
The Horizon Impact Award is intended for scientists who led projects funded by the Seventh Framework Program (2007-2014) and the Horizon 2020 Program (2014-2020). The finalist applications were evaluated by an independent jury.
