FilmEU Announces the Lab Luminary of the Year 2025
The European University FilmEU has announced the recipient of the Lab Luminary of the Year 2025 award, recognising outstanding contribution, leadership, and collaborative impact within the FilmEU Cosmos labs.
The Lab Luminary Award celebrates the individual whose dedication, creativity, and innovative spirit have played a key role in advancing FilmEU Cosmos lab practices and strengthening collaboration across institutions. The distinction highlights not only professional excellence, but also the ability to inspire others and sustain a dynamic, connected lab ecosystem.
The selection process was carried out by a committee composed of one representative from each FilmEU higher education institution in WIRE WP9, with one vote per institution. Committee members independently ranked up to five nominees before reaching a collective decision through discussion, ensuring a balanced and reflective outcome.
The Lab Luminary of the Year 2025 is Filipe Roque do Vale.
According to the jury, Filipe Roque do Vale’s impact has been both exceptional and wide-ranging. His work has been central to shaping FilmEU’s structural and digital lab infrastructure, including contributions to the FilmEU/WIRE HUB, virtual production, generative AI, and cross-institutional lab practices. Jury members also emphasised his role as a key figure in ecosystem building, strategic development, and the creation of a strong foundation for future collaboration across FilmEU labs.
With the Lab Luminary Award, the European University FilmEU acknowledges the individuals who help define the present and future of the FilmEU Cosmos, strengthening shared practices, fostering innovation, and reinforcing the collaborative culture at the heart of the alliance.
Thank you, Filipe, for your exceptional contribution and congratulations!
WIRE HUB Labs and Artistic Research Labs introductory online event.
We are delighted to invite you to the WIRE HUB and AR Labs Introductory Online Event, where we will introduce the essence, vision, and collaborative structures of the WIRE HUB Labs and Artistic Research Labs within the FilmEU Cosmos.
Date: December 18, 2025
Time:
- 12:00–13:00 WET
- 13:00–14:00 CET
- 14:00–15:00 EET
Location: Online.
During this one-hour session, we will present the broader innovation and artistic research capacitation model that connects initiatives such as the Imagination Centre, FilmEU HUB, Living Labs, WIRE HUB, and AR Labs. Participants will also gain insight into each Lab's focus areas, the recommended roles in and guidelines for the Labs, how collaboration is or could be facilitated across the network, and the pathways for getting involved.
The event will conclude with the introduction of the Lab Luminary Award and the announcement of the very first Lab Luminary of the Year winner.
All FilmEU Community members are warmly welcome!
The Lab Luminary of the Year.
Celebrating the brightest light in our labs.
This award honors the shining force within our FilmEU Cosmos’ labs – the individual whose dedication, creativity, collaborative spirit and innovation have illuminated new paths for others. The Lab Luminary Award recognises not only hard work but also the ability to inspire, connect, and keep the labs alive with energy and imagination.
Selection criteria and process
Candidates: a person who has made significant contributions to the labs through demonstrated leadership in advancing lab projects and practices; who has actively fostered collaboration and creative exchange; and who has shown consistent engagement in shaping the labs’ community, mindset, and overall direction.
Submission: anyone in FilmEU Community can propose any candidate from the FilmEU Cosmos (the nominee does not need to be from your own institution) with a short, written explanation, including:
- Name of the nominee and institution
- Few-sentence biography or introduction of the nominee
- Up to 500 characters/100 words reasoning why this person
Deadline for submitting nominees: December 7, 2025
Submit nominations to: jeppe.olesen@filmeu.eu
Selection committee and process: Member of each HEI in WP9 (one vote per institution). Each committee member will independently rank up to five nominees. Rankings will be compiled, and the final decision will be made collectively through discussion to ensure a balanced and reflective outcome.