IENE has been presenting the Prometheus Award to distinguished figures in the energy sector in Greece and Southeast Europe since 2018. For 2026, the winners of the Prometheus Award include Professor Pantelis Kapros, Mr. Spiros Palaiogiannis, and Mr. Slavcho Neykov, recognized as long-standing partners of the Institute with remarkable careers in various aspects of the energy sector.

The Prometheus Award, established by IENE in 2018, is awarded to prominent individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the development and progress of the energy sector at both national and international level. With this award, IENE recognizes high achievements, innovation, and strategic thinking in the field of energy.

Slavcho Neykov has more than 33 years of continuous experience in the energy sector, including as Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, member of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, expert at the Energy Charter Secretariat in Brussels, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna, and others. He was head of the negotiating team for Chapter 14 “Energy” during the negotiations for Bulgaria’s accession to the EU, as well as a member of the Interdepartmental Council for Bulgaria’s integration into NATO. He was a member of the Board of Directors of EUROELECTRIC (2015-2024). For 10 years, he was chairman of the Institute for Energy Management.

Mr. Neykov is a long-standing member of the Advisory Council of the Diplomatic Institute to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and editor-in-chief of the institute’s magazine “Energy and Climate Diplomacy.”