The Women of Europe Awards have been given and the co-founder of the German biotechnology company BioNTech, Özlem Türeci, has been awarded as a woman in business, Belgian news portal EurActiv reports.
The award ceremony organised by the European Movement International and the European Women’s Lobby was held on Wednesday, December 1. Türeci and her husband, Uğur Şahin, headed BioNTech’s Project Lightspeed. The project resulted in the development of the first mRNA vaccine against Covid-19.
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«This award perfectly reflects values which are close to my heart,» the scientis-entrepreneur noted in her address. «To foster cooperation across borders, regardless of where people are or where they come from; to be brave and entrepreneurial; to dare to try something new.»
The other recipients were German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the category ‘Woman in Power,’ Roma activist Jenny Rasche in ‘Woman in Action,’ and 18-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in the category ‘Woman in Youth Activism’, EurActiv reports.