Three female talents awarded at Cosmetic Victories 2026

In a first for the Cosmetic Valley competition, the 11^th edition put women in science in the spotlight by awarding prizes to three female candidates. In the Academic Research category, Giovana Colucci (Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Portugal) and Manami Toriyama (Laboratory of Advanced Cosmetic Science, University of Osaka, Japan) tied for first place and shared the honours. Ms Colucci was recognised for her bio-based emulsifier derived from lignin, while Ms Toriyama won over the expert jury with her innovative botanical approach targeting skin immune memory. Selected from among 93 participants from 25 countries, the three winners each received a prize of €10,000 as well as strategic support from the competitiveness cluster. In 2027, candidates will focus on the digital transition in the cosmetics sector. The call for applications will be launched in October next during Cosmetic 360.